


The Soul-Swap of 2039

by Koroshimasu



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Arguing, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bickering, Body and Soul Swap, Bonding over stupidity, Bottom Gavin Reed, Bottom Upgraded Connor | RK900, Case Fic, Confused Gavin Reed, Crack Treated Seriously, DPD universe, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Don't Like Don't Read, Enemies to Lovers, Falling In Love, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, First Time Bottoming, First Time Topping, Flirting, Gavin Reed Being Less of an Asshole, Gavin Reed Being an Asshole, Gavin's a bully, Gavin's first love, Gay Disaster Gavin Reed, Immaturity at its best, Insane shit, Jealous Upgraded Connor | RK900, Jealousy, Kink Discovery, Love Triangles, M/M, Masturbation, Masturbation in Shower, Mutual Masturbation, Mutual Pining, On Hiatus, Oral Sex, Orgasm Control, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Shower Sex, Showering together awkwardly, Soft Upgraded Connor | RK900, Spanking, Teasing, Top Gavin Reed, Top Upgraded Connor | RK900, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Is Bad at Feelings, dirty talking, gavin swears a lot, lots of swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2020-06-24 08:54:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 73,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19720369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koroshimasu/pseuds/Koroshimasu
Summary: After a brutal argument at the DPD, Gavin and Nines have reached the final straw in their workplace partnership. Unfortunately, Nines is too stressed about the argument, and reacts by emitting a strange light force that barrels directly into Gavin. There are no effects, Nines assures...but then why is Gavin suddenly waking up the next morning looking like the RK900, and why does Nines look and sound an awful lot like Gavin?Discontinued





	1. Enough is Enough

**The Soul-Swap of 2039**

Nines had been so steadfastly concentrating on his current task, that it’d already been twenty seconds too late before he noticed his vision turning dark. It seemed as if someone had turned off all the lights in the Detroit Police Department at first, but then when he lifted his head up a little, he noticed that wasn’t the case.

He’d been standing next to Connor, trying to deliver new information on a homicide case, when he’d suffered the blackout of sorts, only it hadn’t been a ‘blackout’ in a traditional sense…something warm and light was had been draped over his forehead, and it was currently hanging down over his eyes and shielding his vision…

Ripping off whatever it was, Nines glared at it once he held the object in his hands.

It was a pair of heart pattern boxers…

Connor stared at before bursting out in boisterous laughter.

“It’s not funny,” Nines croaked as he turned and glared straight ahead across the bullpen at the perpetrator of the stupid, childish prank.

“REEEEEEED!!!!”

The short detective tossed him a tiny grin. He’d been leaning back in his chair, legs kicked up on his desk as he listened to music that was no doubt as annoying as he himself happened to be.

Of course it’d been Gavin Reed.

For majority of the year 2038, and through the first quarter of the year 2039, Gavin Reed had been a pain in Nines’ ass. He’d constantly bullied and harassed the deviant RK900 since he learned they were to be work partners, and Nines himself wasn’t even remotely thrilled about the prospect either. He wanted to work with an android, and yet Captain Fowler had paired him up with Gavin. Of all people. At least he was friends with Connor!!! Gavin?? Couldn’t stand the guy if the world would depend on it.

Currently drowning himself in guffaws of laughter, Lieutenant Hank Anderson pointed at the boxers while high-fiving Gavin. “Good one, Reed!” he snickered, “where’d you get the boxers, though?”

Gavin smirked as he took off his large black headphones. “Oh, they’re yours; got ‘em from Connor.”

Hank paled, and it was Connor’s turn to practically belt out in laughter.

While the rest of the other officers, detectives, and Lieutenants looked on, Nines charged at Gavin. Gripping his legs so hard in a hand, he shoved them right off the desk as he flung the boxers into Gavin’s lap ferociously. “I’m tired of your games, Reed,” Nines hissed, and Gavin merely snorted at him as he flicked a pen into his chest.

“Yeah? And I’m tired of that ugly CyberLife uniform, Nines!” he then pointed at Connor, “at least Connor knows better than to keep dressin’ up like a fuckin’ clown all the time!”

Nines felt his temper flaring. “This is _my_ uniform, Reed, and I’m going to keep on wearing it as I please, and it’s none of your concern now, is it?”

“It’s definitely my concern when it’s offending my eyes…” Gavin argued, and many officers snickered and giggled while listening on.

This infuriated Nines to no end. He’d tried being patient and calm, but Gavin was really, really pushing him. Never had he met a human being as annoying as Gavin Reed, and he truthfully had no idea how to work with the man. Gavin had an explosive temper when he didn’t get whatever it was he wanted; he showed attitude, he was bossy, picky, lazy, always late, highly opinionated, acted like everyone owed him a favor or two, and he reeked of tobacco…

Nines hated him.

And he was certain Gavin hated him as well, and it suited him just fine.

Gripping the edges of Gavin’s desk, Nines leaned into him while his lips were pulled back in a silent snarl, teeth showing brightly. “Then you’re more than welcome to close your eyes or blind yourself for all I care, Reed,” he began in what he hoped was a menacing tone of voice.

“Umm, guys?” Hank began meekly, “can I have my boxers back?”

Gavin’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Nines, and he refused to back down from Nines’ imposing and threatening stance. He soon leaned into the android as well, despite the major height difference considering how he was still sitting down on his chair. “You know what you should do, Nines?” he whispered in an almost playful tone.

Nines sneered, “What suggestions do you have for me then, Reed?”

“Guys?” Hank coughed, “boxers…please?”

Gavin smiled at Nines sweetly. “You can seriously grab a car battery, hook it onto your nipples, and FUCKING FRY YOURSELF TO HELL FOR ALL I CARE!!!!!!”

Nines exploded right then and there. He’d had it. “YOU NO GOOD, ROTTEN, UNTALENTED AGHH!”

His insult had been rudely chopped in half when he felt a large, strong hand tugging on the back of his dark uniform collar. Nines was yanked away from Gavin, and as he turned around, he was face-to-face with one super angry Captain Fowler. The man’s eyebrows were clenched so tightly together that they looked like one long line that sat upon his forehead. His nostrils were flaring like a mad bull about to run in a Chinese shop, and Nines could’ve sworn he saw steam rising out of the man’s ears, to boot…

This wasn’t going to be pretty.

Captain Fowler leaned against Nines, and he growled, “Nines. Gavin. Wisen the fuck up, both of you,” strangely, his voice was rather gentle, which wasn’t a good sign paired with the facial expression he currently had on. “I’m up to my neck in bullshit, and I could do without you girls fighting every damn day!!!” Now, his voice was increasing in volume, and Gavin and Nines both flinched as they stared around the precinct awkwardly.

Even Hank and Connor turned back to their stations, followed by the other officers.

Nines felt Captain Fowler giving him a mighty push in the center of his back, then, and he stumbled right into Gavin’s desk. Oh boy, was their superior ever strong when angry!!!

“GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!!”

There it was; that horribly loud tone of voice that cut through the air like a shotgun blast in the middle of the night. No one could argue with Fowler, now, and they all knew they seriously had to get back to work.

Reluctantly, Nines pulled up a chair beside Gavin, and he glared angrily at the floor while Gavin grumbled and shifted his chair to the side to make room for Nines.

“Fuckin’ tired of this shit…”

Nines felt he was, too, but he didn’t want to say much. He’d turned around to see Captain Fowler heading back into his office, and when the door closed, he finally let out a relieved breath as he turned back to Gavin and just pointed at his laptop.

“Hurry up,” he pushed out, “I don’t want to fall behind.”

Gavin rolled his eyes, but surprisingly didn’t comment or argue. He simply downloaded the case file they’d been working on, when suddenly, Nines remembered he wasn’t through with talking to Connor!

Shit!

Oh well. He’d have to do it later, as there was no way he was going to risk standing up to do so when Fowler was likely still watching them like an eagle.

He heard Gavin typing away at something, and before he could ask what was going on so he could be caught up, he heard Gavin’s cellphone buzzing.

Gavin sighed, “Fuckin’ got a text, hang on…” he reached to the side of the desk and yanked his phone over onto his lap. Unlocking it, he swiped through to his current message while Nines peeked over at the screen.

**_Anderson: give me my boxers back, jackass!_ **

Frowning, Gavin texted back: **_I’m keepin’ them for now, shit face, so eat a dick!_**

Nines rolled his eyes in disdain. “Must you always be so crass, Reed?”

Gavin hummed as he placed his phone in his jean pockets. “Gets the job done, asshat, so let’s just finish this shit and leave, okay?”

“Fine.”

So it seemed they could agree long enough to reach a common goal after all…

But the question was, how long would that last?

**^^**

Nines should’ve known that any semblance of peace and comfort wouldn’t last around detective Gavin Reed; it never did. He didn’t understand why he’d expected more from the irate man, and within two hours, Gavin was angry once again.

It’d all gone downhill when he’d asked Nines to get him a cup of coffee so they could wrap up their report and head home an hour early. Nines immediately refused.

“I’m not your personal slave, Reed,” Nines argued boldly while Gavin’s cheeks puffed out red and heated, “get your own coffee, and stop bossing me around!!”

Gavin slammed a hand down on his desk. “Just get me the damn coffee, Nines, and shut your mouth and just follow the damn orders!!” Gavin’s finger had rudely come to poke Nines in the face, and the android stood up as he stomped his way towards the Break Room coffee machine.

So be it, then.

If Gavin Reed wanted his coffee, he’d get it, alright.

The walking break helped him calm down marginally, but since he’d still been partly thinking about his argument with Detective Reed, he nearly spilled the hot coffee on his skin. Cursing Gavin up and down for it all, Nines made his way back to their desk eventually, and he roughly slid the coffee mug across the desk at Gavin.

Gavin glared down at it.

“There you go,” Nines hissed, “will that be all, or do you require more things to work?!”

Gavin snatched the mug in his hands, blowing the steam away from the surface as he mumbled a quick, “Fuck you.”

Nines ignored him as he leaned over and studied the report. It didn’t even take a few seconds before he spotted spelling and grammar errors all over it, and he sighed wearily.

“Reed,” he began in a terse tone, “what’s this?”

Gavin sipped his coffee, “The report, dumbass.”

“I know,” he then pointed at sentence for an example. “But I mean, what is this?” he then read it out as it would’ve sounded, “the victim brandished the weapon before the attacker, much like a sword be-fighting that of a kite?”

Paling a little, Gavin coughed, “I meant ‘knight’…and that’s ‘befitting’, asshole!”

“Do you know how to do anything aside from swearing?” Nines challenged, thinking of deleting the entire report as he glared away at Gavin.

Puffing out his chest, Gavin spat, “Dicks, pussies, anuses, balls, cocks, fuck, suck, prick, whore, bitch!” He then grinned, as though proud of what had spilled out of his mouth just now.

Nines shook his head in disbelief. “Wonderful, Detective Reed, but how does that help the report?”

Gavin shrugged, “Don’t give a fuck!”

That was the final straw.

If Gavin didn’t care about the report, then Nines was going to show him he did.

Standing up so he could move himself before the keyboard, Nines pressed the ‘delete’ button and erased the entire report. “So be it, Reed,” he grumbled, “I’m happy knowing that at least one of us will—”

“WHAT’RE YOU DOING?!?!” Gavin cried out in shock once the report had been deleted, and as he fought hard to ‘undo’ what Nines had changed, his chest knocked against his steaming hot coffee, spilling all over himself.

“FUUUUUUUUCK!!!”

It burned him badly, and as he stood up beating the coffee off his hands and arms, he saw Nines scowling at him. That had been the tipping point for it all, and Gavin reached out and shoved Nines hard in the chest.

Though the android hardly moved, Gavin was still insisting on shoving him as far away from the desk as he could while screaming and raging at him. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE JUST DONE TO ALL MY WORK?”

“All _your_ work?” Nines snorted, “charming, considering how you don’t even have a sixth-grade spelling and grammar level!!”

People were staring, and soon, the level of the noise had caught everyone’s attention. Even citizens being arrested and dragged down to holding cells stopped to peek at what was going on, but luckily, Captain Fowler had stepped away from his office for a while.

Gavin was ready to flip a switch. Nines’ insult had really worked its way under his skin, and he kicked at the desk and his chair as he charged forward at Nines. “YOU SHIT BAG!!!” Before he could attack the android however, he was held back by Hank and Connor. They each held an arm, but Nines was before him in a moment.

“Go ahead, swing if you can, Reed!” he taunted as he sneered, “get all that stupid and childish anger out of your system once and for all!”

Connor gasped while struggling to keep a hold on Gavin. “Nines?!?! Are you crazy?!? Stop goading him!!”

Gavin’s teeth snapped together as he leapt at Nines. “GUYS, LET ME GO!! I WANT TO JUST SMASH HIM IN THE FACE ONCE!!”

Hank and Connor’s grip on the detective was slipping, soon. Gavin was too angry to be held down for long, and as he kicked and fought, Nines continuously assaulted him with his insults.

“Such a puny, tiny man,” he spat, “you should know your place!”

“MY FOOT HAS A NICE PLACE IN YOUR ASS, THAT’S WHAT PLACE I’LL BE KNOWING, NINES!”

“Do it, then!”

“LET ME GOOOOOOOO!”

Nines scoffed and shook his head. “You’re pathetic, Reed.”

The veins in Gavin’s neck were visible, now, and his eyes bulged out. Kicking back against Hank and Connor, he finally broke free of them, and his hands almost had wrapped themselves around Nines’ neck, ready to strangle him…

“STAY AWAY!!!!!!!”

As Nines roared in anger, his LED light turned bright orange, suddenly. It wasn’t a color any android’s LED light was supposed to display, and Connor gasped as he yanked Hank down to his feet.

“EVERYONE, GET DOWN!!!’

BANG!!!!!!!

Without warning, a strong, orange-yellow light akin to that of fire burst forth from Nines’ LED light as it spun that dangerous color. The light rose high into the air, and it seemed to circle both Gavin and Nines for a brief moment. Everyone else had ducked down and hidden, taking cover beneath their chairs or desks, which left only Nines and Gavin standing before one another. The light surged between their bodies, and then it extended like two stick-like bolts of electricity. It was as though lightning had hit Nines and Gavin in the chest. Something loud zapped between their bodies, and Gavin was knocked back a few feet, while Nines fell down to the floor.

Something akin to plastic burning reeked in the air, causing majority of the officers to cough as they covered their mouths and noses in disgust. While all that was going on, Gavin felt his fingers tingling before they turned cold and numb…

Was he dying???

He stared down at his hands, though nothing appeared wrong with his fingers or skin…it just felt so weird inside, and he had no way to talk. It felt as though his mouth had been ironed shut, and as he tried to make sounds, he found he was only wheezing.

Nines looked into his eyes with concern, and Gavin saw his lips moving, forming words…

What was happening?

He heard the thundering of footsteps, and as he stared over Nines’ shoulders, he saw Captain Fowler running at them. He grabbed Nines’ shoulders and spun him around screaming and demanding to know what had happened.

Gavin’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he nearly fainted.

Nearly.

He knew he was still conscious, as he could see the ceiling, the lights, and he felt he was landing on something hard…it was his chair. Someone had helped him sit down on his chair, and as his head spun wildly, he saw Captain Fowler shoving Nines towards the exits…

“GET OUT RIGHT NOW BEFORE I BEAT YOUR ASSES!!!”

The world was moving too quickly, and too slowly.

In an instant, Gavin had been yanked up as well, and Captain Fowler forcefully pushed him out the back doors as well.

“STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY POLICE STATION!!!!!!!!!” With that screamed out into the warm summer air, Captain Fowler slammed the doors shut, leaving Nines and Gavin standing side-by-side.

Gavin swayed a little, holding a hand to his stomach as he felt his vision and bodily functions slowly returning back to normal. “What…the f-fuck was th-that??” He barely was able to get his question out; his tongue felt so dry, and everything was suddenly so sore…

Nines didn’t appear to be as affected, but his LED light was red and spinning like a top. He held a hand against it as he breathed out, “God, I don’t know what happened…”

Gavin looked around the parking lot, but everything appeared to be normal. Whatever had happened was gone, now, and he felt better with each mouthful of fresh air he took into his lungs. “Nines,” he whispered, and then coughed, “am I sick or something??”

Immediately taking time to scan him, Nines sighed out, “No, you’re fine, Reed.”

“Swell,” Gavin coughed, and then giggled, “I guess this was our ticket out of work early!”

“Be serious for a moment, Detective!” Nines scolded, but Gavin was already trying to walk away. He only stopped when Nines cried out for him almost in a desperate plea to get him to stop moving.

Pausing momentarily, Gavin frowned. “Why should I?” he quipped, “you said I was fine, right?”

Nines pressed a hand against his forehead, feeling his patience running thin so quickly once again. “Yes, that may very well be true, Detective Reed,” he began shortly, “but we still don’t know what really happened, and I don’t think you should walk away from this yet!”

Holding out his hands, Gavin shrugged, “You threw a bitch fit in your own android way, Nines,” he explained with a tiny cough, “I’m sure Connor could do the same too if Hank got up his ass…” he then winced and coughed again, beating himself in the chest with a clenched first, “…I didn’t mean it in that way…like I meant it in the…”

“Detective,” Nines interrupted, “please, let’s just—”

“I’m goin’ home, Nines,” Gavin announced, and then waved him off as he limped over towards his car. He coughed his way inside his car, driving off without another word as the RK900 was left wondering all along what had truly happened.

He swore he could still smell something terrible, and if Nines wagered, he’d have to say it was Gavin’s flesh cooking…

**^^**

Gavin didn’t understand why his alarm clock sounded different the following morning. Sure, it’d gone off like it was supposed to, but instead of vibrating lightly like it always had done, it seemed so loud and close, suddenly…had he slept with his phone on his head or something??

Reaching up with a hand, he groaned as he felt his forehead.

Nope.

No phone there.

He couldn’t remember much of what’d happened last night, as when he came home from work, he just crashed onto his bed and was asleep in seconds. As much as he loved sleep, however, he knew he was going to late for work, and he supposed he had to head in early to be prepared for a scream-fest from Captain Fowler.

Fuckin’ Nines.

This was all his damn fault!

“My heaaaad!!!” That same buzzing sound was literally bashing into his skull, and Gavin wished he could find his phone so he could turn it off…but where was it???

When he opened his eyes to look around, Gavin saw darkness for a moment, and then something let out a tiny ‘beep!’

“Huh?”

“Good morning, RK900!” A chipper feminine voice greeted him suddenly, and as Gavin turned his head from left to right, he saw white padding of what appeared to be a small cylinder-shaped room of sorts.

What the fuck…

He looked down at his feet, and he saw that he had clean black dress shoes on!

“Those aren’t mine!!!”

Was this a dream!? What kind of a dream was this?! Why the sci-fi robotic woman voice?!?

“Where am I?!?!”

The buzzing soon continued, and Gavin groaned as he lunged forward and bashed his fists against the long, slender door of the tiny room he was currently in. “HEY!! SOMEONE!!! LET ME OUT!!!”

He didn’t need to fight long, however; the moment he’d tapped on the door, it slid open, and Gavin nearly fell forward onto his face. Steadying himself, he held a hand against his head as he spun around the next room the door had opened up to…

It appeared to be a basement of sorts??

Huh??

He turned to study the ‘room’ he’d escaped from, and he felt his stomach bottoming out when he saw a rectangular, white container with the CyberLife logo and name written on it…

What…

This had to be a dream! It absolutely had to be a damn dream!!

“Where’s a mirror?!?” He raced ahead, and the motion sensor lights turned on due to his quick movements. Unfortunately, the room he’d been in was empty and bare, but luckily, the door to it opened up as well when he reached it.

Gavin didn’t waste much time as he ran down the long halls, suddenly stopping in his tracks when he looked around.

“I know this place!” he whispered to himself in fear as the realizations slowly hit him like a wrecking ball slamming into a building. “Dear god, I’m in the fucking precinct!!!”

And it appeared he was.

He ran past the Archives and Evidence Room, the Coroner’s Lab and Office, the Evidence Locker, the Weapons Locker, and was finally running up the steps to the first floor of the Detroit Police Department.

Immediately when he reached the main level of the large building, where his colleagues and co-workers were already bustling about for the day. One by one, they all smiled and waved in greeting at him.

“Hey Nines!”

“Good morning, Nines!”

“Sup Nines?”

“How ya doin’ Nines?”

“That was pretty intense shit with Reed the other day, Nines!!”

Gavin was panicking now. If he had been worried before, that shit was mild in comparison to what he was feeling and going through now. He was about to have a full-blown nervous breakdown, now.

Why was everyone calling him Nines?!?!

Thinking he had to have been sleeping, still, he ran for the men’s washroom, eager to splash cold water on his face. He pushed the door open wildly, bulldozing inside as he stopped before a large mirror.

What Gavin saw looking back at him made him want to smash the glass into a thousand tiny pieces…

He was looking at Nines!!!

The RK900’s reflection was staring back at it, but it seemed that even Nines in the mirror was shocked?? Why??

Gavin screamed as he leapt back, and Nines in the mirror did it as well at the same time.

“WHAT THE FUCK!?!?”

Nines’ lips in the mirror mouthed that, too, and Gavin slapped a hand over his mouth.

“No way, no way, no way…NO FUCKING WAY!!!” He crept closer towards the mirror, touching it carefully with a finger, first, and then his whole hand.

“This has got to be a dream or a joke!”

He tried removing the mirror from the wall, but it’d been hooked in far too strongly and tightly. Choosing instead to move onto the next mirror beside it, Gavin peered inside it, and he again was faced with Nines!!!

Where was his own reflection!?! What was going on?!?!

He really wanted to punch the mirror, but then he felt that buzzing sensation in his skull again.

“STOOOP!!!” Gripping the side of his head where Nines’ LED light was spinning red in the mirror’s reflection, Gavin backed away and slammed against the bathroom door while screaming.

The noises in his head were so loud, so painfully piercing, and so cruel…

“Please stop! Please go away!! Leave me alone!!!” He began rocking on his knees and bum as he sat down and panicked, staring down at his CyberLife uniformed covered arms.

This made him wail desperately, and as he sobbed loudly; the bathroom door suddenly burst open.

Captain Fowler stormed in, and someone else was following him closely. Bending down to the floor, Captain Fowler grabbed Gavin by his arm, and he tugged him to his feet. “GET UP!!!”

Having no choice in the matter, Gavin stood, and he stared at Captain Fowler in fear. “Sir!! I don’t know what—”

As the figure standing behind Captain Fowler finally entered the bathroom, Gavin nearly collapsed, paralyzed completely in utter fear and shock.

Standing behind his angry police captain was Gavin Reed?!?!?

It was himself!

His body…at least!!

He was standing with wide open eyes as he held back a gasp and pointed up at Gavin with a trembling hand.

“I knew it…”

Oh, how strange his voice sounded to his own ears, though it was definitely an octave deeper, and his eyes somehow seemed bluer…


	2. Misery Loves Company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter...I swear 🤣😂😂😂😂

**Bio-Scan in session…**

**3…**

**2…**

**1…**

**Bio-Scan commencing…**

**Results…rendering…pending…**

**Results Submitted for: Captain Jeffrey Fowler. Heartrate, 85 beats per minute…emotional distress!**

The office door slammed as Gavin smirked at Captain Fowler while he stood in Nines’ android body right now next to his own body…which Nines was currently somehow trapped in…at least, that’s how he’d convinced himself to see it since Captain Fowler pulled him out of the men’s washroom almost half an hour ago while Nines explained what he’d gone through when waking up as Gavin Reed.

In spite of the madness, Gavin had decided to keep things humorous, and he didn’t seem to want to cut back on being nothing short of annoying. He felt he could get away with it now even more, due to the fact that he was an android!

“Sir? Did you know that you’re pretty stressed right now?”

Captain Fowler merely growled at him as he kicked a chair. “Don’t fuck with me, Reed,” he warned, “you and Nines have already gotten under my last nerve, and now?” he scoffed as he stared at them both and shook his head in disbelief, “just what the fuck happened?!?!?”

Gavin made Nines’ heavy, broad android shoulders shrug. “Fucked if I know.”

This response made Nines glare using Gavin’s eyes. “Would you stop using my mouth to curse?!?! It’s so strange hearing and seeing myself swearing like that!!”

Gavin’s LED light spun golden. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, piss, shit, di—”

“REEEEED!” Fowler interrupted, though Gavin didn’t really react in the way he normally would have. Now that he was technically ‘Nines’, he found that things that would affect humans didn’t apply to him at all. For one, he never had cravings for cigarettes or coffee, and he didn’t get scared easily, and he didn’t feel warm or cold…this was new; it was absolutely refreshing, and he loved it!

Peering down at ‘Gavin’, he snickered. “How’s it feelin’ bein’ human, dick cheese?”

Nines fumed at him as he turned and stared up at Gavin. “I want my body back!”

Gavin glared at him, “As if I don’t want mine back, either?”

Once again, in order to get their attention, Captain Fowler kicked at his desk. It created a very loud sound, and ‘Gavin’ jumped. It was amusing to see that Nines was unable to resist the human body naturally behaving as it should’ve during times of shock and fear, and Gavin couldn’t get enough amusement out of this.

“You morons!” Captain Fowler roared, “do you know what happened, or are you guys just set on wasting my time??”

It was silent before Nines tapped a finger over Gavin’s scar. “I think I did it, Sir…”

This caught Fowler’s attention, and his eyes narrowed at Nines. “What do you mean, Gav-err, Nines?”

Avoiding looking at the android next to him, Nines paced slowly. “I think when Reed and I were arguing yesterday, I somehow must’ve tapped into a special ability I never knew I had…” he then finally looked at ‘Gavin, “…remember that weird light and electrical shock that hit us both?”

Gavin shrugged, “So?”

“So I think that had to have been it!!”

“But how did it make us switch bodies?”

Now, he was stuck. How could he explain it? Truthfully, Nines had been beyond frightened and shocked when he’d woken up in a warm bed, and with two cats rubbing up against his chest. He’d been so accustomed to waking up in his CyberLife storage container, that when the change had occurred, he thought he had somehow been dreaming…but androids didn’t dream!

Touching one of the cats made him realize it was all real, and as he tried scanning his surroundings, he found his features and powers had been closed off to him entirely…that was when he ran around the ‘place’ he was in, and he found a bathroom, a mirror, and Gavin Reed’s reflection staring back at him revealed it all. He’d tried calling himself somehow by using Gavin’s phone, but he wouldn’t even pick up…

Rounding on Gavin furiously, Nines poked a finger into his chest. “Why didn’t you answer my calls, by the way?”

Gavin tilted his head at him, his LED light red, “The fuck?”

“I tried calling you!”

Frowning, Gavin sputtered, “H-how the heck should I have known?”

Rolling his eyes at him, Nines groused, “You usually should be able to feel it in your head!! It’ll come as a painful throbbing or buzzing of sorts??”

Something finally clicked, and the lights went on in Gavin’s eyes. “Oooooh,” he snickered as he nodded slowly, “yeah I was wonderin’ what the hell that all was, because my head was killin’ me!”

“That was me trying to reach you!” Nines snapped impatiently, “from now on, answer when I call the first time!!”

“Okay, okay,” he held up his hands, “pushy much?”

Fowler find this moment to intervene, and he stepped up to them both while placing his hands on his hips. “Gavin, Nines,” he said as he looked at them both in their opposite bodies now, “I expect you _both_ to fix whatever happened here, and I need you both to keep it together and work as a unit, for God’s sake!!”

Nines nodded, “I agree, Sir, but I won’t be able to if Gavin here is going to just goof around!!”

Captain Fowler sighed as he turned to Gavin. “Gavin,” he began slowly, “are you going to promise me that you will work cooperatively with Nines and rectify this issue once and for all?” As he asked this, he found that Gavin was scanning him again, and he sighed wearily.

“GAVIN!”

Snapping his head up, Gavin nodded. “Umm, Sir,” he snickered uncomfortably, “I don’t mean to break it to you, but did you know that--”

“I asked you a question, Reed,” Fowler growled with copious amounts of impatience flowing through him. “Answer me!”

“But I—”

“REEEED!”

“Did you know you haven’t been laid in like four months, and you have a lot of backed up frustration, Sir?”

That information had caught everyone by surprise. Captain Fowler reeled back a little, eyes wide as dinner plates, and Nines blushed as he turned away from Gavin and just stared out the office windows.

After a heavy pause, Fowler pointed a shaky finger at Gavin, “Did you just—”

“Don’t use my features for accomplishing weird things!” Nines yelled at Gavin, then while almost tugging at Gavin’s hair, he wailed out, “I should’ve known you’d want to abuse those features!!”

Gavin glared at him while gently trying to pry his fingers off his head of hair. “Oy, don’t touch the goods, Nines,” he chided while shaking his head in disapproval.

Nines only shoved him hard. “Oh yeah?” he spat, “well you’re doing whatever you want in my body, so why can’t I do the same to yours?!?” As though to prove his point and challenge Gavin, he then tugged so hard at Gavin’s hair, but he unwittingly hurt himself in the process. He winced as he threw his head back and cried out, “OUCH!!! THAT HURTS!!! THAT ACTUALLY HURTS!!”

“Hahahaha!” Gavin laughed as he pointed at him in glee, “welcome to the world of being a human, dipshit! Enjoy your stay!”

Whining up at the ceiling in despair, Captain Fowler held his head in his hands. “I can’t even begin to understand how it is that you pea brains keep landing yourselves into the weirdest situations,” he began, “but I’ll have you know, I want _both_ of you to work together to fix this!!”

Gavin scowled in response, “Well we can try, but—”

“No ‘buts’, Reed!” Fowler jabbed a finger into his nose, “you’re still expected to be professional and come to work, because the crime in this godforsaken city sure as shit won’t stop just because you goons have done…” his eyes ran up and down their bodies before he groaned and then shook his head, “…whatever the fuck it is you did to yourselves!!”

That was clear, but neither of them wanted to go along with it and agree to it. They exchanged dirty looks, and it was so weird due to how Gavin being stuck in Nines’ body was acting and appearing to portray idiosyncrasies of the regular Detective Reed, and Nines was portraying ‘Nines, RK900’ trapped in Gavin’s body. Even their facial expressions matched their inner beings and personalities, and it was interesting seeing it all come out and be displayed on the opposite side.

Apparently, Captain Fowler couldn’t take much of it. He rubbed his eyes furiously with his hands, blinking a few times before he shook his head. “Nope…I’m not dreaming…fuck!!”

Nines didn’t have much to say to that, but Gavin merely stood tall and rolled his eyes while tapping a foot on the floor. “Look,” he began with an air of attitude, “I’ll try to go along with all…” he than waved at himself and at Nines, “… _this_ , but I can’t make any promises, Fowler.”

“WOULD YOU IDIOTS GET OUT OF HERE AND LET ME TAKE MY FUCKIN’ ANXIETY PILLS ALREADY!?!?” Captain Fowler screamed over them both, and Nines leapt back as he placed a hand over his chest.

“My heart!!” he cried out as he panted, “it hurts!!! Oh god! Everything hurts!!”

Gavin winked, “Mhmm, now you feel me…literally.”

“FUCK OFF!!!!” Fowler roared, grabbing them both by their collars, and as he opened his office door, he shoved them out on their asses wildly. “AND DON’T RUN AROUND THE PRECINCT TELLING PEOPLE WHAT’S GOING ON UNTIL YOU BOTH KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS DAMN CRAP!!”

Once the door had rudely slammed on their faces, Nines turned to Gavin while the entire bullpen eyed them with caution. What were they to do?? Should they act as themselves…err, each other?!?

It appeared as though Gavin had the same thought going on, and he whispered at Nines, “What do we do???”

“Umm…” Nines pushed out hurriedly, “…you be me, and I’ll be you!! There’s no way they can understand or handle this all right now, and it’s best for us not to draw attention to ourselves!!”

Gavin appeared to agree. “Okay!!!”

“Good, so just—”

“Holy butt fuck, Connor’s coming towards me at nine o’clock sharp!” Gavin pointed straight ahead at the RK800 as he approached them with a cheerful smile.

Glaring angrily at him, Nines hissed, “Stop cussing!!”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t swear!!”

“Right…”

As Connor finally stood before them, he first greeted ‘Gavin’. “Good morning Detective Reed!” he chirped down at Nines while the trapped android-in-a-human’s-body-smiled weakly and in a phony way up at Connor.

“H-hey…Connor…” he struggled to get out, “…how are y-you?”

Connor gasped, “I should be asking _you_ that question, Gavin!” he then lowered his voice when he saw that some people were trying to listen in on their conversation, “yesterday looked bad for you and Nines…” he then winked at ‘Nines’, “…no offense, friend!”

Gavin was so happy he couldn’t sweat, because internally, he felt like a huge mess. He only nodded as he winced and said, “Yeah…that damn Gavin Reed…”

This was clearly a little strange to say, and Connor caught onto it as he frowned somewhat suspiciously at ‘Nines’. “Hey Nines,” he spoke gently, “are you certain you’re alright? You’re behaving kind of oddly…”

Gavin tried concealing that he was panicking, and he threw a small worried look over at Nines. The RK900 was trying his best to slouch forward as Gavin often would do, but it looked so rigid and weird, as if he was a puppet a puppeteer was controlling somewhere horribly. His movements were choppy and blocky, but thankfully, Connor was paying more attention to Nines’ body than Gavin’s.

Remembering to act as if he were Nines, Gavin merely nodded curtly as he cleared his throat and stood tall. “I’m fine, Connor,” he spoke out as best as he could like Nines, but his voice wavered, as it was still more or less in the same pitch and tone his own voice sounded like.

Connor raised a brow upon hearing it. “What’s happened to you, Nines?? You sound funny, too!”

Frowning at him, Gavin almost lost his temper. “I don’t sound funny, you stupid pile of plas—”

“REED!”

They all jumped upon hearing Hank Anderson’s booming voice as he approached ‘Gavin’ with a hand stretched out. “GIVE ME MY DAMN BOXERS, YOU MISERABLE PUNK!”

Gavin scanned Hank quickly.

**Initiating Bio-Scan, Initiating Bio-Scan**

**….**

**3…**

**2…**

**1…**

**Results Rendering…Results Pending…**

**Anderson, Hank**

**Clothing…too tight…possible circulation slowed down**

**Heart Rate Reading: 87 Beats per minute**

**Stress Levels: 88%**

**Sweaty palms, lack of proper nutrition, diabetes increase, cholesterol increase.**

**Recommended method of approach: Caution!**

Ignoring the warning signs, Gavin zoomed his android vision on Hank’s lower half and jeans.

**Zoom in visual processors…magnify by 75%...**

Hank knocked roughly into ‘Gavin’, causing the short male to stumble. Nines was internally panicking, as he had no idea where the boxers even were, but Hank wasn’t waiting; he angrily held out his hands while his cheeks turned beet red.

“I want my boxers back, NOW, Reed!”

Thinking quickly on his feet, Nines hissed out, “I don’t have them with me now, but I promise I’ll give them to you before the end of the week, Hank!!”

Gavin grumbled while trying to scan through Hank’s jeans. He still couldn’t focus his vision a lot, and it was a tad difficult getting used to the features Nines’ body and system had. He made a mental note to find time to learn and figure it all out, soon, but for now, he wanted to have some fun.

**Zoom in visual processors, magnify by 90%!**

**….**

He grinned when he saw the leprechaun pattern boxers Hank was wearing.

Priceless.

He fucking loved being an android.

Not relenting, Hank shoved ‘Gavin’ roughly. “I said give them back!!!”

“Hank!!” Nines screamed, and as he nearly toppled over, he felt his head spinning and aching more than anything else. Why did his lungs even ache and burn??? What was happening??

Turning to the only source of help he had, he stared at Gavin in his own body. “I think I…” he paused, frowning when he saw the yellow LED light spinning, which indicated that Gavin was up to no good.

“Gav—err, I mean, NINES!” he screeched horribly, causing Gavin to snap out of it.

“What?!?!?”

In the midst of the weirdness, Connor squinted at Gavin, and he peeled back the layer of his human skin as he offered his ‘android’ hand before Gavin. “You wanted to exchange information with me the other day, Nines,” he reminded the android, “I have some time now?”

Oh boy.

Gavin had no idea what to do, and how to react. He also saw Nines cringing and holding a hand to his head while Hank shoved him around lightly. Piecing it together quickly, the detective-turned-android knew that as a human being, he’d been terribly addicted to cigarettes and morning coffee. He hadn’t felt a single craving this morning, thankfully, but he knew Nines could certainly feel it all in his body. Not only would that suck for Nines, but Gavin felt it would help create a distraction so they both could escape from Hank and Connor!

Excellent!

Diving ahead, he grabbed Nines’ hand, and he tugged him towards the Break Room urgently and swiftly.

“NINES!” Hank screamed after them, “I want my fucking underwear back, and you need to convince Reed to give them back, you hear me?!?!”

Holding up a hand, Gavin made Nines’ head nod. “Err, right, Lieutenant!” he cried out as best as he could in the tone of voice Nines often used, “will do!!”

Once they were in a more secluded area, Gavin breathed out in relief while Nines swayed and blinked back tears. Gavin didn’t notice Nines struggling, and he elbowed Nines playfully while snickering and pointing at Hank childishly.

“Did you know that Anderson wears leprechaun patterned boxers, Nines?!?” he let out a bark of a laugh, eyes clenched tightly as he giggled, “what a loser!!”

Nines wasn’t laughing. His hands were shaking, and he felt his headache getting worse suddenly. Something was terribly wrong, and he felt as though his eyes were even burning the longer he just stood around. “My heeeaad,” he complained while staring at Gavin, “what happened to your body?”

Leaning against him, Gavin rolled his eyes as he then walked Nines over towards the coffee maker. “My body needs coffee, freak,” he explained as he grabbed a ceramic mug from a shelf and placed it by the counter while the coffee was brewing slowly. “Remember that every morning, okay?”

“Lovely,” Nines groused as he watched the hot liquid pour into the mug, “and let me guess, I will also need to learn how to smoke?”

“Mhm!” Gavin beamed at him, and then frowned, “oh! I may have to warn ya, though…”

Nines groaned, “Now what?!?!”

“I also have irritable bowel syndrome…” Gavin gave him a small smile, “…sorry…”

………….

“I hate you so much, you know that?” Nines fumed and grabbed the coffee mug once the beverage had been poured to the brim. He sat down at a small table, waiting until the coffee was slightly cool before he took a tiny sip. Gavin sat across from him, smiling as he observed Nines in his body drinking the coffee carefully and slowly.

Not enjoying that he was being watched so closely, Nines scowled. “What’re you looking at?!?!” He felt a tiny bit better after his third sip of the coffee, but he still didn’t appreciate Gavin using his own eyes to gaze at him in the manner he was doing so currently!! It was all too weird!!

Propping a hand beneath his chin, Gavin flashed him a wide, toothy smile. “How does it feel to be the short one now, ass?”

He was enraged, though he didn’t comment on it immediately. Nines gripped the handle of the mug as he growled under his breath, “Just shut up for a minute, Gavin, and let me think about a solution to this!!”

“Oh it’s easy!” Gavin piped up, brushing his hands on Nines’ dark uniform pants in a few quick motions, “I’ll just get you to make me mad so I can unleash my demonic android powers and then zap our asses back together!!”

Nines threw Gavin a very blank look for over a minute, and then he spat out, “Seriously?!?!”

Gavin shrugged, “Yeah, why not?? It worked the first time!!”

“Gavin,” Nines sighed in exhaustion, “are you even listening to the words coming out of your mouth???”

Winking playfully at him, Gavin smiled, “I think you mean the words coming out of _your_ mouth…” there was a small purr in his tone, and it made Nines shiver.

He smacked Gavin in the elbow. “Whatever way you want to phrase it is fine, but be serious for a moment!!” he sighed as he looked down at his coffee mug. “How can we re-create that?! I don’t even truthfully know how it happened the first time, to be honest with you!”

Thinking about it quickly, Gavin hummed, and his LED light spun a few times before landing on the color blue. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully, “but it’s worth a shot, no?”

Nines sighed as he finished up the coffee. His nose scrunched up once the last of the bitter taste when down his throat, and he pointed at the mug, “This stuff is horrible, Gavin!” he protested and complained, “how do you drink it?”

“Hehe,” Gavin chuckled, “wait until you crave the cancer sticks, bucko!! That’ll be a laugh…”

Nines disagreed, but rather than getting into a debate about that, he merely ran a hand through Gavin’s hair when he saw that it’d gotten messy and had fallen into his eyes. Once it was a little straighter, he ground out, “Anyway, there’s no real way to tell for certain if that plan could work, because we had no idea about it before, right?”

Gavin wasn’t following, and he frowned in confusion. “Huh?”

Digging his fingers into the table, Nines felt the first bits of his patience wearing thin. Perhaps this wasn’t such a bad idea, but still, a lot could go wrong, especially considering that Gavin was in his body, now.

Setting his cup back in the sink when he got up, he hissed over his shoulder, “Things have a tendency of not following through when one is aware of them, you know?” before Gavin could say anything, he continued, “the first time this happened, neither of us were expecting it, which made it all that more…potent?” He had no other word to use, so he went with that and came to stand by the table Gavin was still sitting at. “It’s for this reason that I think we need to come up with a backup plan, and then—ahh!!!”

Suddenly, he’d been interrupted by something painful in his abdomen and it pooled down low towards his groin.

What was happening, now?!

Damn humans and their complicated bodies!! Without his scanning abilities, he was utterly useless!!

Gripping the edge of the small table, he winced as he stared up at Gavin. “Help!!” he cried out painfully, “something within me burns down between my legs!!”

Snickering, Gavin nodded, “Yep! That’d be the need to take a piss, Nines!!”

“A WHAT!?!?!” He couldn’t believe this!! He knew it was a big part of being human, but he’d never actually witnessed a human urinating, nor did he want to dig up research on it now!! What the hell was all this?!?! Did he really have to do this?!

The moment he shifted, his bladder ached, and he knew he couldn’t escape this burning need.

He groaned up at the tall ‘Gavin’. “Why?? Why?!??!” his voice was strained, and he felt like crying.

Gavin merely shrugged apathetically, “What can I say?” he snorted in amusement, “coffee always makes me pee, Nines!”

Pointing at his crotch, Nines shivered, “And now I have to—”

“Haaaaaveeee fuuun!!!” Gavin sang out once he pushed his chair back and started to wander out of the Break Room.

Nines slammed a hand down on the table, worming his way uncomfortably over towards Gavin. Every step he took was brutal and painful, and it felt like he was going to explode at any given moment. Dancing from side-to-side, he yanked on Gavin’s shoulders.

Damn this bastard for being so tall—oh…technically, it was _his_ body, after all…no need to insult himself.

When Gavin turned around, he batted his eyelashes sweetly. “Yes my love?” he giggled when he scanned his body’s bladder and then gasped playfully, “oh no, Nines!!” he cooed in amusement as Nines did a pee dance, “looks like you’re gonna wet yourself soon!!”

“Please help me, Gavin!!” Nines begged and pleaded, whimpering in pain while Gavin hid an evil smirk behind a hand.

“PLEASE!!!”

Knowing they were going to cause a scene, Gavin sighed and gave in. “Fine,” he hissed, “but I’m only doin’ this because I don’t want you pissing all over _my_ clothes! Got it?”

Nodding in desperation, Nines spat out, “Yes!! Yes!! Anything, dear god!! Just help me get rid of this!!”

“Fine; let’s go.” Gripping him by the hand tightly, Gavin led Nines towards the men’s room, and once they were inside, he found the nearest urinal, and he pushed Nines before it.

“Go on,” he nodded at the clean, white urinal, “do your thing.”

Nines paused, and then looked at the urinal, back at Gavin, at the floor, then at the urinal again. Wincing, he cried out, “I c-can’t!!!”

Gavin sighed, “It’s not that hard…” he then took a perverted glance at his own crotch as Nines danced and fidgeted about, “yeah, totally flaccid, dude.”

Whimpering again, Nines clawed at Gavin’s CyberLife uniform. “Gaaaaviiiin!!! I can’t do this!!!”

Not wanting to hear any more of this, Gavin ground his teeth together, and he leapt back from Nines’ clingy arms and fingers. “Get away from me!” he snapped and snorted in disgust as his eyes squinted and narrowed at Nines. “I’m not helping you!!”

“You c-can’t just m-make me suffer through this!” Nines pointed out vehemently as he danced before the urinal, “I don’t know wh-what to do!!”

“Oh for fuck’s sakes…”

“PLEASE!”

“Dude, I’m not going to handle my dick with _your body’s hands_ to help you pee while you’re trapped in _my_ body,” he began, shaking his head and placing a hand over his forehead, “do you even know how creepy it is that you’re gonna have to see my dick???” Gavin shivered, and then groaned in disgust at the prospect. “Fuckin’ gross!”

Nines kept on whining, and the more time that elapsed, the more awkward things were getting. After another minute, a few voices sounded outside the closed door, and Gavin stared at it. They didn’t have a lot of time left before lunch break started, and rather than having a few more guys in here asking what the hell was going on, Gavin supposed it was a lot better to just man up and get this all over with.

Cursing everyone and everything in his life, he stood rigidly, said a tiny prayer in his head, and then sighed as he glared down at Nines. “Fine,” he spat reluctantly as he sneered, “I’ll help you, you stupid freak, but I swear to god, if you pee on me, look at me, touch me, or do and say _anything_ that will make this more awkward than it will already be, I’ll knock you into next year, got it, Nines??!!”

The threat seemed to get through to Nines, and he whimpered as he nodded, dancing and shifting his weight from leg to leg. “Okay!! I g-got it, just p-please help me!!”

“Okay!!” he winced when he stared at his jean zipper, knowing what he had to do, now. Stepping up closer to Nines, Gavin extended his long android arms and stared up at the ceiling. Already, he was disgusted, but he knew how he could handle it all, soon. Since he was technically an ‘android’, now, he was searching for videos or projections as distractions in his mind while he felt his fingers resting upon the zipper.

He tugged it down and ignored the ‘ziiiip’ sound in the empty bathroom echoing all around them both.

“Get a bit closer to the urinal,” he hissed in an instruction at Nines while he searched through his android mind for a good, peaceful source of distraction.

**Conducting system search!**

**3…**

**2…**

**1…**

**Keywords in search: Eutopia, islands, exotic beaches, naked women…**

**Results pending…**

“What do I do now, Gavin??”

“Hmm?” He hated that he’d been interrupted, but he peeked down briefly and nearly hissed out in anger and distaste when he saw Nines just standing before the urinal like a useless moron.

Groaning, Gavin counted to five, and then reached inside he jeans. “Just…ugh…” he couldn’t believe he had to say this to another male, “…just take it out, for fuck’s sake!!”

**Results pending…**

**3…**

**2…**

**1…**

Once again, he felt Nines poking him shyly, and he shifted. “It’s slippery!”

Dear Christ.

What the fuck had he done to deserve this, and why??

Searching quickly to check if they really were alone, Gavin thanked the gods above when he found that they truly were the only ones present in the bathroom. Counting to three again, he closed his eyes and felt his way inside the open jeans, and then felt warm flesh against his fingers.

He needed to calm down.

This was his own cock, after all, and he was very well used to handling it…not that he did it often…well…

“Gavin?”

“Shut up, and just aim and piss! For god’s sakes, this is so fuckin’ awkward, Nines!!”

Nodding, Nines peered down between his human legs, and a concentrated and determined look was upon his face. He was staring so intensely, that Gavin was certain he was going to die. Reaching forward, he smacked Nines on the back of his head lightly in a warning.

“Stop lookin’ at my dick that way, asshole!!”

Nines groused, “You told me to aim!!”

“Yeah, but…” he growled as he knocked his shoulder into Nines in anger, “…just stop starin’ at my cock like that!!!”

While his anger grew, he found he lost track of his mental imagery for a distraction, and the search he’d conducted had unfortunately been abandoned.

**Error! Error!**

**Results…interrupted!**

**Error!**

Nearly screaming in protest, he held a hand against the bathroom wall to steady himself and get away from Nines, but then an arm latched onto his shoulder.

“Don’t go!!” Nines pleaded in a soft, gentle tone, and it completely threw Gavin off guard and took him by surprise. Why did Nines sound so desperate all of a sudden? This was so unbecoming of the foreboding, menacing RK900!! Gavin never would’ve expected it in a thousand years, but now that it was happening, he thought it was absolutely priceless.

Still, he wanted to know just what had caused the RK900 trapped within his body to ‘freak out’ in the way he currently was…

He gave into his curiosity, and he peeked down at the short ‘Nines’. He found that Nines was staring straight into the urinal, though he had his opposite hand over Gavin’s between his legs…err, Gavin’s legs!!

This was all still so very strange and messed up, but Gavin clenched his eyes tightly, and he took up his courage and bravery enough to handle his own cock tightly. He aimed it carefully, and he pressed his free hand in the center of his body’s back.

“Just pee, dude!” he whispered before Nines, hoping the damn android would just understand the machinations of his body and do it!

One last whimper came from Nines, but then the steady sound of urinating echoed in their vicinity.

Thank god.

Cheering, Nines turned to him with hope in his eyes. “Gavin!! I’m peeing!!”

“Oh my fucking god, Nines!” he cried out in anger while still holding the cock in his hand, “can you fucking _not_ announce what you’re doin’ while I’m technically holdin’ your cock? Err, my cock??”

Nines ignored it; the sense of relief he was feeling outweighed anything Gavin could possibly say. He sighed out in happiness as he emptied the contents of his bladder slowly, enjoying it all as he breathed in and out happily.

“I feel free…”

Gavin groaned, “Pleeeeaaaaseeee hurry!!!”

“So much relief…”

Suddenly, the door of the bathroom swung open, and someone shuffled inside hurriedly.

They had no time to move or adjust, as Gavin didn’t want Nines peeing all over him, and they hadn’t been expecting the interruption to begin with. Once the door opened and slammed shut, they both turned around with wide-open jaws hanging in shock and fear.

Standing before them was a sickly, pale-faced Captain Fowler, and he reeled back in his steps as he stared at Gavin, Nines, the urinal, ‘Nines’ holding ‘Gavin’s’ dick while he peed, and then Fowler shook his head sadly and very slowly.

Gavin cleared his throat, LED light yellow. If he could blush, he knew he would be as red as an apple or cherry right now. “Sir…” he coughed, “…this…this isn’t what it looks like…” his breath hitched in his throat; all explanations dying away in his mouth before they could even fly past his lips.

Nines even stopped peeing, surprisingly, and Gavin heard how hard he’d gulped down saliva as he trembled in worry and anxiety, no doubt. They both knew how badly this looked, but they were both unable to break away from each other and move; they were almost literally frozen stiffly and rooted to the spot as they stood beside one another like statues.

“My word, you two,” Fowler sighed out wearily, “I can’t leave you guys alone for one minute, can I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to stop writing this lmfao I can't even take this stupidity anymore myself🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂


	3. Misfits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Came up for air, finally gonna start completing this.

Gavin _loved_ being an android. He felt fucking invincible this way, and no one and nothing was going to stand in his damn way. Not a single person or android had discovered he was trapped in Nines’ body, and he aimed to keep it that way for as long as possible. Toying with the idea that he could keep up the charade forever, Gavin soon decided to place a bet with himself that it would take at least two months for his colleagues to pick up on the hints. Perhaps some of the clever folks would notice faster, but he was aiming for two months of sheer fucking around and abusing Nines’ powers, at least.

What fun that would be.

….

Unless goody-two-shoes Nines ruined it by running his mouth…

No…he wouldn’t dare. Gavin had already threatened him plenty, and every little threat worked. The first threats hung around Gavin not helping Nines with his…bodily functions, and that frightened the android-trapped-in-a-human’s body to no end. Enjoying how Nines squirmed in his body, Gavin was on cloud nine. He felt powerful for the first time in ages, and he was living it up as he pulled pranks on _everyone_ in plain sight in the DPD.

He had games and taunts to last for the entire week, and he was going to enjoy himself while Nines struggled in his body.

On Monday, Nines hurried over towards him, distraught and covered in thick beads of sweat. Looking affright as though a slew of demons and ghosts had chased him about the place, his hair stood out at odd angles, his face was flushed, and he was clutching at his chest in a fit of what likely was deemed as ‘panic’.

Eyeing him blandly, Gavin noticed that while in his body, Nines had kept on the same dark long-sleeved t-shirt and dark jeans for a few days now.

Gross.

Scanning him closely, Gavin was further horrified with all the stains he caught on the shirt alone.

**Zoom in 175%**

**….**

**Pending scan results…**

**Traces of feline fur, coffee stains, sweat, orange juice, dandruff.**

Double gross. Shit was days old, too…

Slamming both his hands down on Nines’ shoulders, Gavin relished in the height difference. His LED light flashed blue, and almost cheerfully, he sang out, “Nines, we had this discussion before, man. If you’re gonna parade around in my sexy body, wearing my awesome clothes, you have to change them daily; not weekly. Got it?” He hated that he had to be the one to remind the dull, careless android of this, but he needed his body clean and intact for when they figured out how they were going to revert back to themselves!!

Flushing even deeper, Nines hyperventilated, and it only drew in attention all over the bullpen. Many of their colleagues and friends peeked over, and as they glanced at the scene, they scowled at ‘Nines’.

Chris Miller grabbed white out, and he flung it as hard as he could at the android. “Oy! Nines!” he barked out in a curt, clipped tone, “what’re you doin’ to Gavin??”

“Yeah!!” Tina chimed in as she stood from her desk, “leave the poor guy alone!!”

Scrambling for his words before people got suspicious, Gavin aimed to keep Nines’ monotonous, annoying voice in his head before he bellowed it out as best as he could in the chicanery he hoped to pass off as genuine and effortless. “I haven’t done anything to Detective Reed,” he began, still holding on to ‘Gavin’, “Detective Reed here was just relaying to me that he is in dire need of a _cigarette_ …”

Glaring intently at Nines, Gavin nodded once when their eyes met.

_You dumbass. If only we would communicate telepathically now, I would tell you that my body is craving tobacco!!_

He was certain that Nines hadn’t laid a finger on a cigarette in days, and his human body was torturing him because of it. Scanning didn’t even need to be required here to figure that one out. Through his own prior experiences, whenever Gavin tried quitting, his body essentially gave him one big ‘fuck you’ by retaliating in a horrible way. He would experience migraines, dizziness akin to severe vertigo, nausea, sometimes upset stomach and diarrhea, and would end being one cranky fucker until he caved in and had a cigarette. As he’d aged, the withdrawal symptoms grew worse.

Nines was acutely experiencing them, too. Normally, he would laugh at the sight of his mortal enemy suffering so much. To think of the big, mighty, badass Nines in such a sorry state was ridiculous in every right, only Nines was suffering in _his_ body…Gavin himself hadn’t personally been responsible for that conundrum, so there was no point rejoicing and celebrating.

Feck.

Gently nudging Nines down the hall, they headed to where Gavin’s favorite smoke break area, specifically designated to himself, by himself, for himself happened to be. Kicking open the door strongly, the fresh outdoor air billowed through his hair, and he resisted the urge to shout out: GOOOOOOD MORNING DETROIIIIIT!! 

Clutching his chest and stomach, Nines followed behind him, nearly doubling over the handrail of the small staircase until they stopped moving. The cars sat parked in the parking lot, the wind blew and breezed through the grass and trees, birds chirped on and off, and the quotidian traffic made noises in the background. The ambiance suited Gavin just fine, and he’d always enjoyed standing back and listening to it while smoking away.

Only this time, he couldn’t smoke, and he wasn’t enjoying himself as Nines pulled a moue of disgust and pain on his face.

Rolling his eyes, Gavin sighed, “Relax, you just need a cig, and I promise that you’ll be as right as rain.”

“Nghhhu,” Nines whimpered, his skin alabaster and an alarmingly paler shade as time went on. “What have you done to me—err, I mean, yourself?!?”

“Withdrawal, dude,” Gavin supplied resourcefully, “I need a cigarette right about now.”

Coughing, Nines sputtered, “You weren’t kidding about that, huh?”

“Nope,” fumbling around ‘Gavin’s’ jeans, his hands went to the back pockets of his jeans, and Nines immediately squirmed and leapt away from him.

Emitting a strained yelp of surprise, Nines hissed viciously, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!?”

…Was he seriously _that_ dense??!

Staring at him blankly, upon noticing how frazzled and scared he was, Gavin couldn’t help himself. He wanted nothing more than to have a little fun while he had Nines trapped in such an awkward, uncomfortable place. It wasn’t like he could record this for memory’s sake, either. This was a once-in-a-damn-lifetime opportunity, and it would end all too soon. The time was now, the place was here.

Deviously grinning from ear to ear, the fiendish man let out a deep chuckle as he leaned into the shorter ‘male’. Impishly snickering, he purred and cooed seductively, “Oooh, relax, babe, I promise I just wanna make you feel good _aaaaaallllll_ over…” His hands swept over Nines’ ass, and he gripped the full globes of flesh in a heartbeat.

Well, it was easy; it technically was his _own_ ass, anyway.

Eyeballs rounder than saucers, Nines let out a highly nervous, uncomfortable squawk. “REED?!? What’re you doing?!? Let me go!!”

Cute. He was still referring to Gavin’s body as his own?? Cute. Real cute.

Unrelenting, Gavin confidently felt along the swell and curve of his own ass, fondling only with the full intent of retrieving his lighter and cigarette carton. Knowing that Nines had kept the same sweater and coat on, it was obvious that he kept Gavin’s personal items with himself, at the very least. Wherever Gavin went, his cigarettes and lighter went, too.

But why couldn’t he locate the damn things now when he needed them most??

Still touching the back pockets firmly, Gavin’s android hands swept over to the front pockets. Sliding and groping his way from the left pocket to the right, he soon abandoned that and tried one last time for the back pocket of the jeans.

“Hmm,” he hummed after feeling something firm there, “did you take my cigarettes, dude? Be honest…”

Sputtering, Nines took a moment to gather his jaw from the ground before he raged and exploded. “Reed!! How dare you!! You’re a depraved lunatic!!”

Pouting petulantly, Gavin quipped, “You’re just jealous of my ass. Isn’t it amazing, though??” Groping himself again, he felt Nines growing stiff and pushing him away.

“Reed, I’m giving you my last warning!”

Nonplussed, Gavin huffed, “Oh, shut up. I’m only fuckin’ around.” Focusing with his android eyes, he soon saw past the layers and fabric of clothes, and saw one tiny, half-crushed cigarette in the left pocket.

Of course!!

Reaching into the pocket, he withdrew the cigarette, and held it out proudly before Nines. “Taaadaaa!” he sang out cheerfully, “this is my gin and tonic, baby.”

Looking as though he was going to empty the contents of Gavin’s stomach everywhere, Nines only groaned in disgust. Snatching the cigarette, he held it like it were a pen, but Gavin ignored him as he retrieved the lighter and lit the cigarette. He aimed to keep his next words short and to the point, so he succinctly barked out, “Please just smoke the shit out of it, and you’ll feel better. Just breathe in and out like you’re already doin’, and you’ll be fine.”

Silently, knowing he had no other choice, Nines obeyed. “This doesn’t behoove me, nor you, Reed,” he hissed out, awkwardly holding on to the cigarette until Gavin couldn’t take it anymore.

Wrenching it out of his fingers, he readjusted the position the way he wanted it. “Stop holdin’ that like a sissy, Nines,” he argued, and then lightly kicked Nines in the backside, as well. “And don’t lean on the fuckin’ handrail like some loose bitch, either!!” He knew he was being extra picky, now, but Nines had grown too comfortable after smoking away half the cigarette. On one hand, it was great that he wasn’t huffing and puffing like an asthmatic patient, but on the other side of it, he was propping himself against the handrail, resting his chin in his right hand, tilting his head to the right, and jutting his hips out to the left…

Gavin didn’t appreciate the android pulling such an awkward position with _his_ body, and he ended it by kicking Nines in the ass for it again.

Rounding on him with a roar, Nines spat acerbically, “Don’t touch me! That hurts, you moron!!”

Childishly, Gavin hissed out, “Good. Glad that hurt. What hurt _me_ was seein’ you leanin’ like a damn hooker on the rails; gross.”

Clearly seeing red, Nines reared up with his right leg, and he kneed Gavin as hard as he could in the balls. Of course, it didn’t hurt a bit, and Gavin threw his head back and laughed.

“Hahaaa!! Gonna have to do better than that, you freak!” Pinching Nines’ nose, he chuckled, “The slightest tap to _my_ balls doesn’t feel like World War three anymore, but in your case…” Winking, he leaned down to grab at Nines between his legs, but the android was fast.

Slamming his and down between his legs, he effectively covered his own crotch and grinned. “Nice try, Reed,” he snickered, “but you—”

At once, the door opened, and four officers and a member of the S.W.A.T. team stood before them. Nines’ hand still remained between his legs, gripping his crotch, while Gavin smirked like a devil. Everyone remained frozen, but one of the officers blushed deep red and coughed as she forced herself to look away from the horrific scene.

“Umm, Nines?” she asked, turning to face Gavin awkwardly. “What’s Gavin doing?”

Dropping his hand away from between his legs, Nines tried to step in, but Gavin stole the moment.

Cleverly, he orated loud enough for the entire parking lot to hear, “Oh, just touching himself, Officer Swanson…” LED light cold blue, his eyes flashed as he intoned evilly, “My scan results indicate that Detective Reed has been pretty backed up for some time now; a shame, truly.”

The male officers tried not to burst out in laughter, while the female officer brushed her fallen tendrils of brown hair away from her face. Nines was seething and fuming with feverish rage, but before he could say or do anything else, Gavin bowed respectfully and headed back inside the DPD.

“Good day, officers!!”

As soon as he made sure no one was staring at him, he raised his middle finger high in the air and flipped Nines off.

**^^**

_Wakey wakey, you piece of shit…_

Gavin held up a small feather in his right hand, drawing it closer and closer to Hank’s nose while the older male had been passed out and snoring away on his desk. Connor had his earbuds in, and he was busy dancing and swaying to some tune on Hank’s iPhone. Seizing the opportune moment for himself, Gavin crawled over towards Hank, wielding the feather as if it were a deadly weapon. Hank’s snores had gotten louder and louder, unfortunately, and it took everything Gavin had to drown the noises out.

It sounded like a fucking dragon sleeping…dear Christ…

Wincing as he kneeled by Hank, he peered over at Connor, and let out a sigh of relief when Connor was still closing his eyes while ‘conducting’ the music with his index fingers on both hands. Flashing him the thumbs-up even though he couldn’t see it, Gavin then held up the feather once again, and he very tenderly swiped it across Hank’s nose.

Frowning in his sleep, the Lieutenant murmured something incoherent, and then rubbed his nose. He still hadn’t woken up, unfortunately, but Gavin wasn’t going to give up anytime soon. Once again, while crouched, he ran the length of the feather over Hank’s nostrils. Due to added pressure, this time, Hank stirred, and he blinked his eyes open. Quick as a flash, Gavin rose to his full height, clasping his hands behind his back in a ‘Nines-like’ way. Face cold and unreadable, he nodded in obeisance at Hank.

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant Anderson,” he greeted stiffly, while internally, he was about to explode in rounds of laughter.

Running a hand through his hair, Hank smiled gently. “Oh, hey Nines,” he greeted in return, unaware of a large drool stain running down from his chin to the middle of his shirt. “What’s going on, pal?”

Connor’s attention was drawn to them, next, and he paused his music. Yanking out an earbud, he cried out jovially, “Oh! Nines! I’m so glad you’re here!!” Gesturing at his computer and work station, he expounded, “I was searching through a lot of the older case files in the DPD database, and I can’t seem to be able to erase the closed cases that are still marked as ‘open’ and otherwise ‘pending’ since 2022!!”

Hank nodded as he wiped his chin, “Yeah, havin’ that same issue, and it’s slowin’ down my computer a heck of a lot!”

Without thinking, Gavin impulsively spat, “So what? Not my problem.”

….

Both Hank’s and Connor’s eyebrows shot up to the ceiling, practically. Right then and there, Gavin nearly slapped himself silly. He knew that was the least likely response Nines would give anyone. The damn RK900 was far too knowledgeable and didactic, never refusing to help someone. He was acting terribly off and out of character, and he needed to correct it immediately.

“Err, I mean,” his LED light flashed yellow, and he cringed internally as he finished, “h-have you spoken to Jeff-err, Captain Fowler about this…matter?”

Both his colleagues nodded. “Yeah,” Hank grumbled, scratching his beard, and then chest, “but he always said we could ask you, remember, Nines?”

….

Right…fuck…shit…figures that now he had to do some work and babysit. Great.

Eyeing him warily as he joined Connor at his desk, the RK800 asked gently, “Hey, you sure you’re okay, Nines? You seem to be out of sorts!!”

_Mind your own business, you nosy shit._

Feigning a small, professional smile, Gavin answered as he almost naturally deactivated his human layer of skin. “I feel fine, Connor. Let me see what I can do for you…”

And like slipping into a tub of warm water, he left the rest of it to his ‘programming’. The moment his hand touched the hand pad meant for androids to connect to the computers, a hubbub of activity and energy flowed into Gavin. It felt as though wading through the warm water, and then being carried away by gentle, calming waves. Information seeped into him at a rapid pace, so much that he found he could not keep up with it at all. The onslaught of information nearly overwhelmed him to the point where he was certain his eyes and ears were fuzzy.

Head dizzy and buzzing, he felt sparks and channels of electricity tingling in his fingers. This had to be as close to magic as it would get, and he loved it. Diving in deeper and deeper, he felt the influx of numbers, codes, digits, messages, and electronic databases finally open up before himself.

**Status: Connected successfully to RK800’s system, and Lieutenant Hank Anderson’s computer.**

Lips moving, he whispered, “Okay…I…I think I got this…”

Beaming at him, Connor answered with much zeal, “Of course!! I knew you could do it, Nines!! Your prototype is far more advanced than mine in every way!!”

_Shut the fuck up and let me think for a moment, you little twerp._

This was so, so very beautiful. It was like walking into another realm, and in this realm, everything was neatly, organized, put in an orderly place, filed away, alphabetized, and chronologically stored away.

Gavin saw alphabets from A to Z, no doubt the last names of the files and cases Connor had been previously talking about. Nothing was distracting him here, unlike the bullpen. It seemed as though he was passing through a large, empty office. Transparent filing cabinets opened, and any file he wanted and needed would float to him on command…like magic…no noises, no distractions caused by phones or perps held in cells crying out to him; nothing…

Oh, if only he could breathe a sigh of relief right about now…

Suddenly, as Gavin went through the old dates and deleted them all one by one due to having ‘High Security and Administrator Level Clearance’, he noticed he could also access Hank’s files. They all sat there ready and waiting, too. Thank goodness Gavin was an android, now; he was great when it came to multi-tasking.

Aiming to keep Connor distracted, he smiled while his LED light flashed yellow and blue multiple times. “I have managed to remove all the closed files dating back from 2022, as per your request, Connor.”

Internally, he was scurrying through Hank’s system, feeling tiny sparks shooting through his entire core, practically giving him a sense and gift of renewed, enteral life. Energized through the connectivity, he felt his power shooting up once he disabled all the safety protocols and re-routed the Wi-Fi navigation of the DPD only on Hank’s database.

**Error! The following URL has been blocked due to privacy concerns and firewall protection!**

**Do you still wish to proceed?**

_Oh, fuck the hell yes I do…_

Clapping his hands joyfully, Connor sang merrily, “Oh, that’s great, Nines!! I hope it didn’t give you a lot of trouble, but you got Hank’s as well?”

“Sure did…”

**Disabling all firewalls and adblock extensions.**

**3…**

**2…**

**1…**

Huffing as though he weren’t too thrilled about the prospect, Hank sighed lazily, “Guess that means we gotta get back to work?” Waving coldly, he concluded, “Greeeeaaat.”

Frowning at him, Connor barked, “Hank!! You were already sleeping for an hour at your desk! Don’t you think that’s enough?!?”

**Renew subscription?**

**‘Yes’.**

Blinking once, Hank answered honestly, “No.”

**Congratulations! Your subscription has been renewed for one more year until June 13 th, 2040! Click ‘Next’ to continue navigating our site! **

“Almost done, Nines?”

Not at all breaking character, Gavin grunted, “Affirmative. I also cleared a lot of requests you had pending, dividing them by day, month, and year. It was all cluttered.” He hadn’t meant to be so demeaning, but he was feeling a little overwhelmed after all that work.

Appreciatively smiling at him, Connor warmly held up a hand, and Gavin imitated his gesture. Human skin placed back onto his form, he nodded and brushed his android uniform clean. “Is there anything else I can help you with, Connor? Lieutenant Anderson?”

Snorting, Hank offered, “How about a big ole’ cup’a coffee, Nines?”

….

_Sure…why the hell not, buddy…_

For some reason, Hank decided to poke fun at ‘Nines’. Winking at Connor, he churlishly pointed out, “He’s as blank as you were when you started out, Connor!” Chortling, he leaned back in his chair and added, “But you never got me coffee…only for Gavin! Rude.”

“Gavin loves me more, that’s why,” Connor chuckled louder, and Hank grew beet red in the face.

‘Nines’, however, wasn’t laughing.

_You think I LOVE you, Connor??! Ohohohoho, biiiiiig mistake…same for you, Hank. In a few moments, you won’t be laughing…_

Biting down on his tongue, however, he only retreated into the Break Room, leaving Hank especially to his work. Observing him from the coffee machine, he smirked to himself when he saw Hank yawn, stretch, and then glue his eyes to his computer screen. Things seemed normal for a while, with Hank scrolling through things, and Connor putting his music back on.

Anytime now…anytime…

Suddenly, Gavin saw his own face in front of his eyes.

“Found you!” Nines wheezed, panting as he tapped on Gavin’s chest. “Remind me again why you smoke?” he asked, coughing as he murmured to himself, “I can’t breathe at all…”

Leaning on his toes, Gavin tried getting a better look, but it was impossible when Nines was in his way. As he turned to the left, so did Nines, and when he inched to the right, Nines again blocked the view.

Frowning, he inquired carefully, “Is this some kind of prank or game?”

“Shh!!” Pressing a hand down over his smaller skull, Gavin hissed, “You’re in the way, dickhead!!”

Gaping at him, Nines knocked his hand away from his head. Giving him a small shove to the chest, he growled ferociously, “Reed! Why can’t you take this seriously for once?!”

“Nines!! Just can you _please_ give me a minute!!”

Not at all wanting to do that, Nines vehemently shrieked, “While I’m out there trying to pick up a conversation with _your_ human friends and failing miserably, you’re here having the time of your life?!? How could you be so selfish?!?!”

This sounded worse than a whiny ex-girlfriend. Gavin raged internally, zooming his vision in on Hank while Nines again got in his way. Purposefully planting himself in Gavin’s line of view, he shoved him again and nearly stepped on his dress shoes.

“Pay attention for a moment!!” he demanded aggressively, “I don’t know what else you want me to do! I have tried _everything_ here, Reed!!” Waving his hands expansively, he desperately wailed, “Anything I tried was based on observing you, but it’s not enough!! You were supposed to help us _both_ solve this, and yet I see you doing _nothing_ productive and valuable with your time!!”

Enough was enough.

Unable to tolerate it anymore, Gavin quickly grabbed a paper cup meant for coffee. Holding Nines by the throat, he saw the android gasping, and then he forcefully shoved the cup into his mouth past his lips. Muffling his cries of anger and protestation, he firmly held onto the android struggling against his grip.

Peace and silence at last.

Meanwhile, as Nines kicked and squirmed against him, the door to Captain Fowler’s office slammed open. The burly man serving as their superior seemed to already know who he was looking for. It took all of three seconds before his eyes landed on them in the Break Room. Like a hawk, he squinted at them, and then cupped his hands about his mouth.

“REED! NINES!!” he bellowed out like a giant roaring at the top of his lungs, “GET YOUR ASSES IN HERE! NOW!!”

….

The timing couldn’t have been worse.

Nearly flying off the handle, Gavin called back, “Sir, can you—”

“NINES!!!”

Well. At least their boss knew what he was doing by ensuring he didn’t refer to Gavin as himself while he was trapped in Nines’ body. Clever.

Inhaling sharply, Nines spat out the paper cup immediately. It knocked into Gavin’s chin before crashing to the floor. Glaring down at it for a moment, Gavin then pulled a disgusted face. “You ruined my _entire_ day,” he groused, pointing rudely at Nines and then bashing his shoulder against his, knowing fully well how much it would hurt.

Good. He wanted it to bruise.

Without any other arguments in the way, Nines and Gavin held their heads down and marched through the bullpen and into Fowler’s office. The door closed behind them with a soft ‘click’, and as it did, Hank leapt up in his seat.

“What the fuck?!”

Connor peeked up at him, frowning in confusion.

“What?”

Pointing at his screen, Hank rasped while his face flushed deeply. “Connor, have you been goin’ through my computer and doin’ weird shit with it?!?”

Shaking his head, Connor clicked his tongue against his teeth. “Umm, no, why do you ask?”

Squeaking, Hank trembled before leaning across the barrier connecting their desks together. Eyes bulging out, he choked on his words for a moment before somehow managing to cough out in mortification, “You sent me a fuckin’ _gift_!! A video?!”

“No I didn’t!” Connor argued angrily, pushing his chair back as he stood up in irritation.

“No, no,” Hank warned, hands flying up to the screen. “Don’t you dare!”

Impatiently, Connor snapped, “Hank Anderson! I seriously am _not_ in the mood for your games, so you better tell me right now what the hell you’re doing, or so help me, you won’t find the next few days working with me a picnic!!”

“Shhh! Keep your damn voice down!” Hank begged, and while Connor’s LED light burned even redder, the older male rasped, “Connor! You sent me a ‘Happy Birthday’ live video chat from Pornhub, and you renewed my subscription?!?!” Crumbling, he hissed thinly, “I haven’t gone on that site in ages! What the hell?!?”

Still feeling the words his older friend was spewing out had to be a sick, twisted joke, Connor leaned down by the desk. Shoving Hank’s hands out of the way, he growled his demand, “Let me see it.”

Fighting back, Hank hissed, “No!! Are you nuts?!? We’re at work!” As soon as the word ‘work’ escaped his lips, Hank turned gaunt. Holding a hand against his stomach, he bemoaned, “Oh god…they can track this shit, holy shit!!”

“Would you let me see it?!” Connor effectively knocked his arms down, and as they both looked at the screen without even blinking, Hank tapped on the screen slowly.

“See?” he pointed out, “it’s a cam girl show hosted by Cindy Lou, and the email confirmation was electronically signed with your signature!!”

There on the screen happened to be a young blonde female with green eyes and heavy makeup. She winked and blew a few kisses at them before slowly unzipping her private school girl uniform until she revealed to them that she’d been wearing pink and red lacy lingerie.

Jaw quivering, Connor encouraged in a faint whisper, “Close it…close it now…”

Hank tapped on the red ‘x’ icon at the top right corner of the screen, and after trying it one more time and not yielding the results he wanted, he groaned in anguish. The cam girl winked at them again, giggling as she stuck a finger in her mouth, wet it, and then placed it right over an obviously hard nipple peeking out from the open curve of her bra cup.

“ _Close. It.”_ Connor emphasized the two words slowly, and he gripped the back of Hank’s chair tighter than ever, not at all noticing the wood cracking beneath his deadly hold.

Tapping again, Hank let out a choked cry. “Fuck…it froze…it fuckin’ froze…”

Sure enough, the entire bottom half of Hank’s wide screen had remained stuck on the web cam girl’s visage. Shamelessly grinning at them on the other side of the screen, her moist fingertip rested on her pink nipple, and her lip gloss practically shined seductively to the point where it could be seen miles away.

The wood of the chair snapped right away, echoing sickly across the entire bullpen.


	4. Alone Together

Gavin eyed Fowler’s phone with great fascination and curiosity, while Nines sat down on one of the available seats right before their superior. Mad as a bull, Fowler slammed the office door shut, and as he did, his phone rang. It blared off like a warning siren, bouncing off every wall and corner of the tiny office. Diving for it, Gavin snatched it in his hands possessively. He’d almost been about to answer it, when Fowler yanked it out of his grip and threw it down onto the desk sternly.

“Leave that alone, Gavin!” he snapped authoritatively, and then turned over to throw out a menacing scowl at Nines. Trembling like a tiny mouse caught in a rainstorm, the android whispered to himself weakly, not at all making much sense as he prattled on brokenly.

Noticing how badly he was shaking, Fowler sighed, “Nines, I need you to keep it together, please. I know you’re tired, confused, and—”

While he prattled and ranted on and on, Gavin got to ‘work’. A few seconds of contact with Fowler’s phone had been all he’d needed. Sneakily, he connected to the internet, downloading an interesting little app for his boss. It would serve Jeffrey Fowler right after all the yelling and screaming piled up over the years, as well as embarrassing situations he’d thrown Gavin in…

Oh, how lovely schadenfreude could be at times.

Gathering his arms about himself, Nines whispered in Gavin’s petrified voice, “I d-don’t feel so good suddenly…I w-want to be myself again!”

“I know, Nines,” Fowler agreed, turning to glare minaciously at Gavin. “What have _you_ been doing lately to try and solve this mess you’re in, Reed?”

Downloading the app remotely and telepathically from where he sat, Gavin let out a bored hum. Pacing around Nines, he offered nonchalantly, “I’m researchin’ plenty, sir!”

Not at all convinced, Fowler tapped a finger on his desk and leaned back in his dark chair in an awkward, stiff manner. Eyes glowering ferociously, he intoned, “Researching?? I wonder…”

Shifting his eyes over at Gavin, Nines timorously stammered out while sweating up a heck of a storm, “D-do y-you know wh-what’s wrong w-with your b-b-body??”

Gavin huffed irritably, “You’re catching a cold.”

Throwing his arms in the air, Nines cried pathetically, “I’m t-tired of this! I don’t—ACHOO!!!” Nearly falling off the chair he’d been seated in, he covered his mouth and nose with both hands, groaning as he curled in a small fetal position. “I…I’m…ugh…”

Patting him on the back, Gavin snickered cruelly, “I hear ya, pal. Sucks.”

**Setting up Grindr profile…**

“Reed,” Fowler’s deep, icy growl knocked into him after a moment, though it wasn’t enough to rouse Gavin out of his current ‘plans’. “I need for you to start taking this seriously!”

Pausing, Gavin mumbled, “Who says I don’t?” 

Pointing at him thickly, Fowler retorted moodily, “Don’t lie to me, son! It’s useless and tasteless! I want you to get your shit together, starting right the fuck NOW!”

Gathering a nice, most recent photo of Fowler, Gavin uploaded it to the app, and he began assembling the most basic profile he could from scratch.

**Screen name: Filthy Captain Power bottom**

_Wonderful…vile…good shit._

Rubbing his forehead, Fowler tried composing himself, though he was evidently failing midway through. Inhaling and exhaling deep breaths, his fists then unclenched and clenched a few times before he started slowly undoing and removing his dark tie. Tossing it messily over the surface of his desk, he snapped his fingers at Nines after a second.

“To hell with it; Nines, from now on, you don’t leave Gavin’s sight, and Gavin, you stay close by Nines and work together to solve this crap. I’m tired of babysitting two grown ass adults here. Can’t do this shit anymore; they’re not paying me enough for it.”

Freaking out already, Nines nearly leapt at their boss as he struggled to formulate an appropriate answer. “S-sir!” coughing, and then wiping his eyes, he argued vehemently, “I c-can’t stay w-with Detective Reed! He’ll k-keep torturing m-me!!”

**Summary: I like good dick and want to be treated like the man slut you think I am. DTF on first date, love daddies and big cuddly bears. I don’t shave, and I like man who’s hairier than I am…everywhere. Hit me up and you won’t be disappointed. #bdsmslut**

**Personal quote: ‘…woof. Now let me hear you bark.’**

“You may have a good point there, Nines,” Fowler agreed half-heartedly while nodding, “but you can’t stay with me or in the DPD any longer, and I don’t need this shit hitting the media!”

Waving his hands weakly was all Nines could do before crumbling back in his seat. Looking winded and utterly destroyed beyond repair, he held his face in his hands and wept to himself. He sounded much like a little lost child, while Gavin grinned like a demon right next to him.

Noticing it, Fowler nearly pounded a hand on the desk to get Gavin’s clearly divided attention. “What’re _you_ smirking about, Reed? This ain’t funny, you know!”

**Age: 51- but age is just a #, and jail is only a room.**

**Height: 7 inches and counting…in my pants.**

“Reed!!”

**Sign: hardcore Gemini bottom**

Holding up his hands, Gavin feigned an innocent expression on his face. “I’m just trying to remain optimistic, sir! Sheesh!”

“Yeah?” Fowler snorted while taking off a shoe, turning it upside down, and shaking out whatever was obviously caught in it and bothering him. “Well, knock it off, Reed! I’m asking you to work with Nines as your partner here, like I’ve always done in the past, so whatever the hell you’re up to, just stop it!”

**Ethnicity: Coco sugar, 100% au naturel**

“Okay, sir, I promise I’ll handle this!”

Chin jutting out, Fowler roared while placing his shoe back onto his foot, “Professionally, Reed! I need for you to be a professional, for _once_ in your damn life!”

**Hobbies: nude photo shoots, waxing your stepmom’s bikini line, rubbing lotion on my daddy’s body during a hot summer day, hookups, sexting, playing with my soaked kitty…**

Knowing he wasn’t paying attention, Fowler yelled, “Reed! Do you hear me?”

_Loud and clear…_

The app was soon set up, but Gavin cleverly turned off all notifications from alerting Fowler’s phone, and instead duplicated Fowler’s number, email, and linked his system to Fowler’s phone’s SIM card. Now, _he_ would know about every little filthy thing that would go on here first.

“REED!!”

Saluting sarcastically, Gavin quipped, “Sir! Yes sir!!!”

Seething, Fowler stood up and gently tugged Nines up along with himself. “Nines,” he panted desperately, “please, I’m trusting you with this moron, because you’re the _only_ one who’s got any sense left in this insane asylum!!”

Sweating profusely, an exhausted Nines only nodded. “We’ll manage s-somehow, sir…”

Looping an arm around Nines’ human shoulder, Gavin delightfully purred while leaning against the short human. “Don’t worry, boss! Chances are this thing will run its course, and then by accident, just like it happened the first dang time, we’ll return to our annoying selves!!”

Chuckling sardonically, Fowler didn’t seem to believe that. Still, he rubbed his skull from front to back, emitting a pained moan. “Whatever, Reed,” he eventually hissed out between clenched teeth. “Make yourself scarce, now, and let me do some damn work!!”

“With pleasure, sir.” Pulling Nines along with himself out of the office, he had to hold off on his giggles of cruelty and sadistic pleasure the moment the door shut behind them.

**^^**

‘Home sweet home’ wasn’t exactly ‘sweet’, especially when Gavin had uninvited, unwelcome company in tow with himself. Sneezing and coughing all the way, Nines hung back and waited until Gavin unlocked his apartment door and let them both in. Relying on habit and sheer ritual alone, as soon as they were indoors, Gavin unzipped Nines’ CyberLife uniform dress pants, kicked off his shoes, and undressed piece by piece.

Eyeballs growing wide, Nines held a hand against his eyes as he screamed out strongly, “Reed!! What’re you doing?!?”

Pausing, Gavin whirled around midway rolling off Nines’ uniform shirt. Not at all troubled, he muttered, “Woops, forgot you were there…”

Emitting a strained squeak, Nines rasped, “P-put your c-clothes back on, Reed!!”

Tilting his head at him, Gavin’s LED light flashed yellow cautiously. “Umm, why, dude?” he inquired while his eyes shifted about as though trying to somehow ‘see’ and gain further insight based on observation alone. “It’s _my_ apartment we’re in, and the doors are closed, windows have blinds over ‘em, so chill.”

“That’s _not_ the point!” A disturbed Nines clipped out waspishly, “Just put your clothes on, and stop acting stupid!”

Flipping him off, Gavin retorted strongly, “Look, I’m in desperate need for a shower, and you know what?” Pausing, he dramatically sniffed loudly around Nines, and then pulled a disgruntled face. Waving and fanning a hand before his nose, he spat, “Seems like _you_ need one, too.”

Sputtering nervously, Nines’ skin flushed deep pink as he cried weakly, “I do not! I smell fine!”

“Wanna bet?” Gavin shot out, mind reeling and surging with anger and disgust the longer he stood around Nines.

Thinking on it for a moment, the android soon shouted, “Yes, I do! Go ahead, then!!”

_Kay, cool, dickweed._

Nodding at him, Gavin instructed, “Raise an arm for a moment.”

Thrown off, Nines gasped, “What’re you saying, Reed? You want me to—”

“Raise an arm.”

Rolling his eyes skyward, Nines did as he was told. His right arm flew up into the air, and as the resilient silence in the living room panned out, he sighed petulantly. “Is this supposed to accomplish something, Reed? Or are you trying to mock me again?”

Sardonically scoffing, Gavin threw out, “Smell your pits, dude.”

….

“What?!?”

_Fuck it. Let me help you a bit._

Closing the distance between their bodies immediately, Gavin slammed a hand down on the back of Nines’ skull. “HERE,” he ground out deeply, shoving and pressing him as much as he could. Forcefully, Nines’ scarred nose rammed into his armpit with Gavin’s help, and as the android fought back for a moment, he turned paler than the walls.

Stumbling back, he grunted weakly, “Oh my god…that stench!!”

“Hmm,” Gavin pleasantly purred, “that’s _aaaallllll you,_ baby.”

Panicking, Nines ran about in little circles like a chicken with its head freshly cut off. “Reed! What do I do?!? I can’t stand it, I caaa---AAACHOOOO!!!!!”

“Bwessh you,” Gavin mocked before shoving Nines out of his way and heading for the bathroom. Flicking on the lights, he checked himself out in the mirror with great amounts of narcissism flowing through his system. Resisting the urge to flex for a moment, he leaned against the sink, eyes set intently on the reflection that technically still was Nines gazing back. Studying his eyes deeply, Gavin noticed that they were turning more ‘grey’ than blue lately.

Interesting. Perhaps there was a part of himself there after all gazing back…

Stroking his smooth, hairless chin, he pumped a fist in the air as he cheered, “Looks like I don’t gotta suffer through shaving anymore!! Fuck yes!!”

The door squeaked open behind him, and Nines strolled in. Leaning against the door frame, he wiped his runny nose with the back of a hand. Staring down at the wet mucus presenting there on his dark sleeve, he groaned in displeasure. “Humans are absolutely disgusting!!”

Gavin was too busy admiring himself in the mirror to say much else. Tilting his head to the right, then the left, he admired his long neck, he fawned over his broad shoulders, and he gently tapped on his perfectly chiseled six-pack abs. Magnificent! Fingers sliding lower and lower, he nearly wept in joy when he found his small beer belly was no longer with him.

…But what else was in store, really?

Thoughts wandering into odd territory, he nearly forgot that Nines was still in the bathroom with him. Tugging on the waistband of the boxers Nines’ body was holding up, he tried taking a small peek, when Nines bemoaned and wailed in the background.

“I feel so c-cold,” he lamented like a child, “I think I need a d-doctor!”

“Ugh,” Gavin snapped, turning around to look at the pathetic sight that was Nines dripping with sweat and reeking of unpleasant body odors and secretions. “You don’t need a doctor,” he advised as he stepped back and opened the glass door of the standing shower. “Trust me, a shower helps many things, and it’ll warm you up.”

….

That sounded a bit odd to say to another man, but Gavin let it slip…for now.

Raising a curious brow, Nines asked, “You think so?”

Patting himself on the chest, Gavin grunted, “I know so! Trust in doctor Gavin, and you’ll be fine.” Without anything else in the way of awkwardness, Gavin turned on the faucet, and adjusted the temperature to luke-warm for Nines. It took a while before steam gradually filled the shower stall, and as they waited together in the bathroom, Gavin felt it was time to leave.

Clasping his hands together, he cleared his throat and slipped by Nines. “Right, I’ll just be leaving, now, and you can take care of it yourself, right?”

Chewing his lower lip, Nines fidgeted, shifting his weight back and forth as he eventually replied sheepishly, “I feel t-too weak right n-now, and I’ve n-never showered before.”

_I’ll say, you dirty bitch._

LED light coursing red and yellow over and over again, Gavin winced as he grunted in anguish, “Ah, come on, man; it’s not that hard, honestly.” Trying to prove his point, he shoved Nines close to the shower stall and pointed against the glass. “That’s for ‘warm’ water, and that’s for ‘cold’,” he explained carefully and slowly, “adjust them however you will, and there’s soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and—”

Leaning a hand on his shoulder that was shaking badly, Nines rested his forehead on Gavin’s exposed chest. It was feverish, and Gavin began to worry.

“Shit, Nines,” he exclaimed in awe and shock as he scanned him hurriedly, “you’re burnin’ up almost at a hundred, man!”

Still quivering, Nines cried weakly, “I n-need your help f-for now, please…” Looking up desperately at Gavin, he yanked up his sweater, not noticing in his delirious state that he needed to simply unzip it, and then shrug out of it.

Internally, Gavin raged and screamed. _Fuck, why me? Why me? This is absolute horseshit!!!_

Forcing himself not to look at Nines, he threw a hand down at his sweater zipper, and undid the damn article of clothing. Yanking and rolling it off the human arms and shoulders, he tossed it to the tiled floor, and then made quick work of Nines’ sullied jeans, next. Divesting the human torso of the clothes, he angrily threatened, “If you _dare_ mention this to a single soul, I swear, I’ll bust your head open, Nines.”

“G-got it, Reed,” Nines moaned in pain when Gavin lifted his legs and pulled him out of the jeans. “I w-won’t repeat this.”

“Good.” Eyeing his underwear, next, Gavin backed off right away. “You can manage the rest yourself, Nines.” Already spinning on his heels, he threw out over his shoulder, “Let me know when you’re done in here!!”

A hand reached out for him and landed on the center of his back. Nines was almost boiling over, and it deeply troubled Gavin. He tried shrugging Nines’ hand off, but the android was persistent as he stepped in Gavin’s way and blocked the door.

In tears already, Nines fumbled for his words as his underwear hung half-way off his hips. “Reed, p-please j-just show me how to shower once, a-and I swear, I’ll never ever ask y-you f-for your h-help again!!”

Holding a finger up, Gavin snapped, “I’m _not_ touchin’ you.”

“You’ve already helped me pee!!”

….

Nearly bursting at the seams, Gavin roared, “That was an entirely different case, you asshole!!”

“It’s _your_ body!” Nines argued back potently, “It stinks!! Just h-help me this one time!!”

“NO!”

“You can keep your underwear on! I promise!!”

….

Gavin nearly gave in for a moment, but then growled, “Only on _one_ fuckin’ condition!” When he had Nines’ undivided attention, he instructed in a bark, “You _don’t_ touch me, you _don’t_ look at me, and I swear, if you even dare get hard, I’ll drown you in there!”

Sputtering, Nines cut in with, “I c-can’t control your body all the time—”

“That’s the deal,” Gavin interrupted crudely, “take it or leave it!!”

Acquiescing, Nines nodded and extended his hand. “Deal!”

Glaring at the appendage, Gavin snapped, “Dude, I said don’t touch me!”

“Sorry.” Dropping his hand, he peeked at his underwear and asked softly, “Sh-should I…umm…”

….

“Oh, fuck you, and everything about you.” Aggressively, Gavin yanked down the underwear all while glaring madly up at the bathroom ceiling.

Nines leapt away from him, turning and hopping in the shower stall. “This is mostly _your_ f-fault, Reed,” he pointed out acutely, “take some damn responsibility for it!!”

Following him, Gavin jabbed in annoyance, “Why don’t _you_ take some _reeee-_ sponsibilty yourself, hmm?” Unfortunately for Gavin, Nines didn’t understand the reference at all. Shaking horribly, he stood directly beneath the shower head, wetting his hair and the rest of his body while Gavin stood close to him.

Leaning against the tiled walls, Gavin heard clattering of teeth after a few moments. He tried ignoring it, but it became far too loud. In fact, it was louder than the spray of the water cascading down on them…

Giving in, he offered, “Let’s warm up the water a bit since you’re freezing, apparently.” Before he could reach for the warm water, Nines got in his way and pushed it to open up further, himself.

“I can d-do it,” he snapped roughly, “I’m n-not th-that inept.”

Eyes wide, Gavin happily backed off right away. “Okay, sheesh! Suit yourself. No need to bite my head off.”

Nothing was communicated for a few painfully long five or so odd minutes. Time stretched out between them both, while Nines soaked and drenched his entire body beneath the spray of water. Gavin grumpily stood close by, taking up interest in counting the tiles, studying the pattern of the grout between them, and then staring at the ceiling. Time was by moving too slowly, but at least Nines had ceased shivering. Now, he was moving on to grabbing the bottle of shampoo, and he studied it for a long, long time.

Fed up with it already, Gavin snatched it away from him. “It’s shampoo, dumbass,” he hissed as he popped open the cap and turned it upside down. Gripping Nines’ neck, he held him in place as he squirted the shampoo on top of his skull.

Rearing up violently, Nines screamed atop his lungs, “IT’S COLD!!!”

Shoving him roughly, Gavin shouted back, “You big baby! Calm your ass down!!” Literally seeing the goose flesh covering Nines’ skin in a reaction to the coldness of the shampoo gliding over his hair, a moody Gavin Reed got to work on spreading the shampoo everywhere on his partner’s hair as he could reach. Lathering it up nicely while Nines shivered to the bone back and forth, he shoved the android beneath the water. Pinning him there, Gavin focused on massaging the shampoo into his hair thoroughly.

Soon, Nines quit squirming, and instead, he was clearly enjoying being taken care of. Eyes snapping shut, he leaned his head onto Gavin’s chest for a moment. A sigh of sheer satisfaction and relief escaped his lips, and then Gavin paused. Glancing down at Nines, he saw the android trapped in his body practically snoozing away on his chest like a little baby.

Anger reared up anew, and Gavin slapped Nines as hard as he could across the face.

Screaming from pain, Nines cradled his cheek as he sputtered and gasped, “The hell was _that_ for?!?”

Mentally, Gavin knew that slapping Nines had been far out of order. He’d taken things to an unnecessary extreme, and though there was no need at all for the display of sheer force and violence, he couldn’t help himself. How dare Nines…how dare he…

Glaring daggers down at the short human, he admitted cruelly, “It’s because I fuckin’ hate you, Nines.”

Pain and raw emotions flickered in Nines’ eyes, as well as all over his face. His eyes grew pink and watery, as though he was already feeling depressed and lachrymose due to Gavin’s scorn. Time seemed to freeze and stand still. Even the water in the background slowly fell, pounding in Gavin’s audio receptors like the beating of a drum, and echoing in Nines’ human ears that were already sore and throbbing.

Blinking rapidly a moment later, Nines sniffed as he wiped his mouth and nose. The suds from the shampoo slid down along both his cheeks, down to his chest and abdomen, and Gavin watched the motions and movements silently. The contrast of pink skin lightly covered in soft, light brown body hair and the pure white of the shampoo suds and bubbles rising off Nines’ body was somehow…different…

It was refreshing.

Gavin internally had to take a second to wonder how and why it came to be that he wasn’t as deeply disgusted and disturbed by looking at another man’s body.

A voice rang out in his head at once, supplying the most logical answer. _It’s technically my own body, I guess…and damn, I’ve seen better days, but I’m not that bad lookin’…_

Eyes wandering down to his own hips, he started comparing the ones on Nines’ torso to his own. They both looked sturdy, strong, masculine, and rather nice…he wanted to touch them and compare deeper…

Without realizing it, his hand stretched out, and the moment the palm of his hand landed on Nines’ hip, the android’s now human cock gave a small twitch of possible interest.

Electricity sparked between them, and Gavin withdrew his hand as though it were on fire.

_The fuck is wrong with me?!? The fuck was I about to do!?!_

Scolding and chastising himself, he spun around, making sure his back faced Nines. Grabbing the body wash instantly, he hurled it over his shoulder at Nines. “Hurry up, dipshit,” he moodily bit out, wanting to get the hell out of there quicker than a bolt of lightning. “I’ll wash only your back, okay?”

He could almost see Nines nodding as he poured the body wash over his skin. “I’ll be fast, I promise.”

“Good,” Gavin sighed, “and don’t make so many noises, alright?”

“O-okay, Detective.”

The rest of the shower went on silently, and thankfully ended with Gavin fulfilling his promise by rubbing Nines’ back. The human skin was now light pink due to the deeper cleaning and scrubbing, but Nines at least smelled a lot better as he toweled himself dry. Gavin hurried along after him, leading him into his bedroom and tossing a fresh change of clothes at him once he’d retrieved them from his closet.

“Here,” he gruffly mouthed as he placed the clothes on the edge of the bed. “Put those on and get to sleep; you’ll need it if you wanna get better.”

He didn’t even stick around to hear or see what Nines said or did; he closed the door and resorted to sitting down on his couch back in the dimly lit den. It was far too easy leaving himself in ‘stasis’, as it was close enough to sleep for androids as one could imagine. He entered some sort of ‘rest mode’, akin to putting a laptop or gaming console in the same state. Leaning his head to the side, Gavin awkwardly sat on his sofa, closing his eyes and praying he wouldn’t dream about Nines showering.

**^^**

**You have 7 new messages in your inbox!!**

At almost six in the morning, Gavin’s head buzzed. Grindr had acted up, scaring the shit out of him as he’d been ‘resting’ in stasis and keeping to himself. Rousing slowly, he heard Nines softly muttering in his sleep next door. It greatly interested Gavin to note that while Nines’ ‘soul’ or ‘essence’ was trapped in his physiological body, he behaved and took up a lot of the mannerisms Gavin himself always presented. Talking in his sleep had been something he’d struggled with his entire life, with the very first case of it revealing itself when he was eleven years old. Since then, many girlfriends complained about it, stating that he’d been getting worse as he aged.

Well, now Nines had to deal with it, Gavin supposed.

_And now I gotta deal with Jeffrey’s lovely suitors!!_

Snickering, Gavin sorted through the messages, starting with the first of the seven. Linking the profile to his own personal phone so he had something tangible in his hands, out of habit accustomed to being a human, Gavin read through the messages on his phone.

**User: Hungfitguy**

_…Amazing name. This’ll be good._

Opening the message alert, Gavin nearly burst out in laughter when he saw a picture of a long, thick cock. The caption beneath it simply read:

**U like?**

_Well, fucker certainly is livin’ up to his reputation…_

Shamelessly, Gavin went on to the next message.

**User: MikeCoxLong**

…Gavin had to give credit to these clever perverts. That name was too good, and it’d taken him a while to actually read out the name as it sounded.

Snorting in his amusement, he read over the message, grateful that this one didn’t feature a photo, at least.

**u a top or bottom?**

Angrily, Gavin muttered under his breath, “Didn’t you read my profile?” The nerve.

One by one, he read and deleted the messages, but due to his ‘online status’, he received many, many more. Majority of them were either trolls or horny older men looking for a quick bang, and Gavin toyed with them all for half an hour. Soon, he started growing bored, however, and he erased the messages while waiting for Nines to wake up. A few of the online users he’d been ‘sexting’ with became angry, sending him hate mail and vitriolic death threats. Spending another twenty minutes blocking them all, Gavin had been about to delete Fowler’s Grindr profile, when the most recent notification blared off in his head.

It wasn’t a message, however, but it was someone favoriting his display photo. A few seconds later, a comment appeared beneath the display photo. The username wasn’t a perverted, twisted one, and it caught Gavin’s attention immediately. Moving to the man’s profile, he found that the image loading was of a handsome young man claiming to be no older than twenty-one.

His screen name was: **Jayden2018.**

Piecing it together, Gavin deemed that the man had composed his username from his birth year, and name…not too clever. Weren’t schools teaching kids about online predators these days???

Shaking his head in disbelief, Gavin read over the comment, then found he had trouble deciding on whether to delete it and block ‘Jayden2018’ or not.

**You have a nice smile!**

‘Nice smile’??? Jeffrey Fowler? Who’d have thunk. In all his years knowing Jeffrey Fowler, Gavin hadn’t yet heard someone saying the man ever had a ‘nice smile’. Thinking that Jayden was another troll, perhaps, Gavin revisited the young man’s profile, staring at the photo there for nearly ten minutes straight. No matter how seriously Gavin studied the photo, he found he couldn’t locate a single thing that was odd or off-putting about ‘Jayden’. He seemed pleasant, obsequious, had a kind, gentle smile, and warm eyes. Physically, he looked fit, healthy, and fun to be around. His teeth were perfectly straight, whiter than clouds, and his neat clothes were freshly ironed, washed, and prim. Looking like a proper, dapper gentleman, Jayden wore a deep green golf shirt, the collar propped up around his strong neck. He wasn’t too thin or too muscly in build and stature, but just in the right proportions. He was standing in the middle of a golf field, his shirt clinging to his upper torso, but not in an obscene way. Possessing a good length of bone, Gavin measured that he wasn’t nearly as tall as Nines, but definitely taller than himself as a human.

Shit.

On his lower body, he wore navy blue shorts that sat up nicely to the middle of his thighs. His skin was slightly tanned beneath the hot summer sun in the photograph, and he was wearing clean, sporty white running shoes. His clean hair had been trimmed in a neat uppercut fashion, with the front bangs parted and pushed to the left side. The light blonde fringe had been mildly gelled and formed that way in an organized fashion, and it suited Jayden well. His lashes were thick when Gavin zoomed in, and he noticed how mesmerizing his serene, soft green eyes were…

_Not a bad looking dude at all…_

Reading through his profile, Gavin learned quickly that Jayden had been born and raised in Florida. He was currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology, and he diligently worked part-time at the golf resort no doubt featured in his photo. He loved to cook and experiment with learning meals in his spare time, he thoroughly enjoyed surfing the web, he relished in staying fit and healthy, and he thrilled in learning to play the guitar. He’d been an all-star grade A student in high school, he volunteered at an animal shelter, and he was currently living with his elderly grandparents. He seemed…a bit ‘old fashioned’ in Gavin’s opinion. Well, unless he was straight up blatantly lying on his profile, anyway.

Glancing through a tiny assortment of his photos, Gavin saw that the rest were of Jayden with his grandparents, partying with a few friends, and appearing in a few other social gathering photos taken at Christmas and New Year’s. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Sampling the rest of the profile, Gavin’s eyes scanned over what Jayden had composed as an introduction to who he was in the ‘about me’ section.

**_You want to know about me? Well, that’s a bit tough to capture in a small box here where you’re allotted no more than 1000 characters. I guess you could say I’m earthy, but I don’t ‘go with the flow’. I am my own person, and I can’t promise you I’m seeking one thing or another. I believe that if you want to get to know a person enough, you need to come out of your skin and do daring things, such as messaging me._ **

**_I will respond to anyone, even the gross perverts on here._ **

Feeling so stupid for writing such horrible shit on Fowler’s profile in comparison to how genuine this ‘Jayden’ was, Gavin again went to try and delete his account. Enraged, he loaded the ‘settings’ page, when a new chat message appeared in his inbox.

…His curiosity took control, and before Gavin knew what he was doing, he’d opened the message.

**Jayden2018: hey**

Of course. They all started out with ‘hey’.

Glancing at the time, Gavin found that it still wasn’t too late past seven. Why not troll this Jayden a bit more and then delete the entire profile?

Sure.

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: sup**

Due to being online, Jayden responded swiftly.

**Jayden2018: How are you?**

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: meh. U?**

**Jayden2018: not bad. May I ask why you’re here? What’re you looking for specifically?**

….

Gavin looked ahead down the hall, and when he heard the bedsprings creaking and groaning before Nines started snoring again, he turned back to the conversation. Aiming to be crude and gross so as to get Jayden to fuck off and feel annoyed, he kept his answers crude and crass.

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: u can read english. just lookin to fuck.**

Feeling vile and revolted with his own manner of speech, he was all too eager to distract himself by reading Jayden’s new reply.

**Jayden2018: no offense, but something about your photo doesn’t scream out ‘Filthy Captain Power bottom’ to me lol.**

_Never asked you for your opinion, you little twink._

Anger backing him up, Gavin swiftly replied: **Filthy Captain Power bottom: yah? and u look like someone with an older man complex, and possibly suffering from daddy issues.**

Content with how rude he was, he kicked his feet up on the coffee table across the sofa while Jayden took his time to respond. When the reply was sent back to Gavin’s inbox, he was left feeling confused, stymied, and frozen.

**Jayden2018: well, I do like older guys, so I can’t say you were wrong there, but my dad and I have a good relationship, thank you very much, and it’s certainly not in the way you think.**

….

_Okay…eww…how the fuck do I even respond to that??_

Weirded out already, Gavin jumped the gun by asking: **Filthy Captain Power bottom: u a troll or the cops?**

**Jayden2018: neither. Just a lonely guy who finds you interesting to talk to.**

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: y**

**Jayden2018: you fascinate me. Out of all the guys here on this app, you’re the only one who has a sexually explicit profile and yet has NOT actively asked me for nudes or dick pics.**

_Maybe it’s because I’m not into dudes, dummy._

Frowning as he focused on his answer, Gavin felt one of his cats leaping onto the sofa and joining him. It stared down at the screen, and then pawed him, no doubt wanting attention. Acquiescing, Gavin fondly rubbed its hurry head, stroking the ears and chin of his pet. It nuzzled and purred at him, nudging him to get his lazy ass off the sofa and refill its food dish, of course.

As he entered the kitchen and set himself on that task, Gavin continued his conversation with Jayden. He knew he should’ve just blocked the moron and erased Grindr completely, but something odd and unique about Jayden kept pulling him in like a fish drawn to a worm dangling on a hook.

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: whatever. Ur too young for me anyway.**

Sadly, this did nothing to ward off Jayden.

**Jayden2018: im not asking for sex. Just wanted to talk.**

Yanking out a can of cat food, Gavin shoved it in the can opener machine with more force than necessary.

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: look, tlk to guys ur own age, okay?**

As the tiny can whirled about and finally opened, Gavin dumped its contents into the food bowl, and his cat thanked him for it by pawing at him gently before scarfing down the meal. As Gavin changed the water dish, Jayden’s next message flooded in.

**Jayden2018: nothing wrong with chatting with someone older, tho.**

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: look, ur just a troll, so fuck off.**

**Jayden2018: im not**

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: im not stupid. No one uses their real name, or the date of birth on here.**

**Jayden2018: and I haven’t done any of those. My real name isn’t ‘Jayden’, and I wasn’t born in the year 2018.**

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: oh…how old r u?**

**Jayden2018: 19**

….

This was worse than Gavin thought. Wanting to put an end to this before it wandered into horrible territory, Gavin decided to take a more ‘forward’ approach, even if it meant being blunt and hurting this kid’s feelings.

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: look, im not a bad guy, but im bettin’ you that a lot of freaks on here are, and ur considered ‘jailbat’. do urself a favor; delete this app and go find a nice guy somewhere else.**

He hated sounding like someone’s father, but if it really were his own son caught up in this mess, Gavin’s advice would be much the exact same. He didn’t want to see this young man hurt or taken advantage of blindly, and the protective side of him that enabled himself to be a good enough detective spoke out louder than anything else.

**Jayden2018: and I get that. I can take care of myself.**

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: then fuck off.**

**Jayden2018: i know ur just trying to push me away because you want to see me protected, but it wont work.**

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: hw do u even no im who i say I am? Hmm?? i cud be a serial killer for all u no.**

**Jayden2018: I doubt it. You seem wonderful.**

_…Alright, you asked for it._

Without even giving it a moment’s worth of a thought, all Gavin wanted to do was prove someone wrong. It’s what he fucking _lived for_ and enjoyed doing the most, and he let it guide him instinctively. Quickly, he snapped a photo of himself and uploaded it to the chat window, not at all noticing that he’d taken a photo of ‘Nines’, and not ‘Fowler’.

The message was sent anyway, and Gavin chuckled as he sent out: **Filthy Captain Power bottom: tricked ya! You prick! Now will u fuck off, plz???**

While he waited for Jayden’s message, the selfie he’d taken blew up in his face.

….

What the fuck was he doing?!? All because of wanting to prove one stupid brat wrong, he’d impulsively and immaturely taken a selfie of himself as Nines, and he’d shared it with a complete stranger!! Now, he was truly caught in his own unfettered bullshit, and he knew that he was going to either be called a pervert, a hypocrite, or a liar of some sort.

Woops.

Cursing himself, Gavin meant to delete the chat, when Jayden swiftly responded.

**Jayden2018: ur a liar, but i wont lie…u’re very hot. wasnt expecting an android, but ur one of the most handsome ones ive seen.**

….

_Wait…what…?_

Reading the message over again, he found that his eyes hadn’t been deceiving him; Jayden _had_ labelled him ‘hot’.

_What the fuck…_

Gavin’s cat rubbed against his legs, and he nearly cried out in fear. Running a hand through his short hair, he willed himself to ‘get it together’. Why was he so damn nervous for, anyway??? This guy was being a creep, and the sooner he ignored him, the better it would be!!

**Filthy Captain Power bottom: k…thnx, but u should go away now**

**Jayden2018: ‘video message’.**

_Oh fuck no…_

As soon as the video attachment uploaded, Gavin flinched before playing it, just out of the sake of curiosity. The thumbnail was of the exact same young man featured in all the photos, so Jayden hadn’t been the liar at all. The video had been taken in the middle of a coffee shop of sorts, with a few patrons seated behind Jayden, sipping on their coffee and chatting softly.

It started off with Jayden waving, and then he spoke out in a chipper, friendly manner, “Hey there, Captain!! I may not be ‘Jayden’, but let’s face it…” Closing in on the screen, his plump lips perfectly moist and shiny nearly kissed the screen. “…I don’t see ‘Coco Sugar’ here, either…”

_Aaaaaand that’s enough internet for today, I think._

Closing out of the app and pocketing the phone, Gavin whirled around like a tornado, ready to head over into the bedroom and rouse Nines, when he slammed into a solid mass. It hurt the mass more than it did him, and a pained groan hit his audio receptors seconds after their minor collision.

Rubbing his chest and chin, Nines hissed, “Ouch! Watch where you’re going, imbecile!!” His messy bed hair stood out as though someone had electrocuted him, and the scar that had always been there on Gavin’s nose seemed inflamed, now. Squinting angrily at him, Nines’ nostrils flared, and he brushed past Gavin swiftly.

Noticing he’d made a beeline for the coffee machine, Gavin sighed softly, “Good morning to you too then, dipshit.”

Fumbling about, Nines opened and slammed cupboards, drawers, and cabinets, yanking out a coffee mug, a fresh filter, and leaning against the sink. Wearily, he announced, “I feel fine, thanks for asking.”

Grunting haphazardly, Gavin supplied callously, “Don’t care.”

“Of course you don’t,” Nines spat back poisonously, but while he turned on the coffee machine and waited for the water to brew, he eyed Gavin while folding his arms in his lap. Looking as though he was forced to speak, he eventually ground out, “So, what did you do all morning?”

Thinking back to the conversation he’d shared with Jayden, Gavin quickly snapped out of his momentary reverie.

Shrugging, he replied coolly, “Nothin’ interestin’.”

He would be damned to admit out loud that Jayden had a very soothing, lovely tone, but god damn, the young man definitely had a pleasant voice to listen to.


	5. Ties that Bind

Gavin deleted Grindr as soon as Nines finished eating and using the bathroom. While the android showered again, Gavin hurriedly went through his own phone, and he made sure to erase all traces of the app, any photo he was sent, and all the lewd, perverse conversations. Jayden had shockingly sent him a few more things, but he wasn’t going to look at them. Their interactions were already freaking him out, especially given Jayden’s age. It’d all gone down too weirdly already, and Gavin already had made plans with Nines to try and go to the mall so they could both hopefully get new clothes.

He didn’t need to spend the rest of whatever time he had left to be stuck in Nines’ body wearing his dumb, plain CyberLife uniform all the time. That would be the ultimate bane of his existence, plus, he was getting fed up with staying indoors all the time. It would turn him mental quite soon, he felt.

He drove them both to the central mall, one of the less crowded ones, thankfully. They reached the large building almost around noon, and they entered the mall swiftly as possible. Nines was bitching about something, but Gavin didn’t care to know what it was or listen to it enough. Now that he was out and about instead of remaining stuck within a messy, cloistered apartment, he sure as hell wasn’t going to enable Nines and be his soundboard. Plus, he wanted so very badly to mess around a bit to take his mind off his imminent, importunate troubles and burdens while he could.

No ideas immediately came to him when they entered the mall. Everything seemed ordinary and bland, with the music overhead playing soft country that deeply disturbed him, a few androids working there updating and posting new signs, and someone going up and down the large escalators. Yes, it truly wasn’t that spectacular, but Gavin found he could use _anything_ to his advantage here.

Vowing to do that, he viewed this world as a toy box, and a large, open playground for him to dive into and really enjoy. As soon as he walked past a few mannequins displaying the latest fashion trends for both men and women, Gavin stopped by a tall, feminine looking one, and he bowed before her. “Ma’am,” he greeted, taking to openly flirting with her while Nines studied a few clothing shelves and carts that were marked as 50% off regular price.

Snickering acerbically, Gavin elbowed the female mannequin as he cried out to Nines, “Remember when they would use androids for modeling clothes?”

Nines turned to scowl at him, and Gavin only shrugged. “Yeah, me too. Miss it, honestly.”

“Yes,” Nines snapped testily at him, patience already reaching the limit, “because who _wouldn’t_ want to stand around all hours of the day in goofy clothing while more humans gape at you like you’re a monkey?”

Raking his eyes skyward, Gavin sighed petulantly, “I think you’re being a bit dramatic, dude.”

Shaking his head stubbornly, Nines rebuked, “I don’t think so. Hurry up and stop flirting with the female models here; it looks too bizarre, especially when you’re an android, and you’re in _my_ body.”

No. He was having too much fun. But technically, Nines had said ‘female models’, right?? That meant the male ones could be happily flirted with!! Wanting to test that, Gavin muttered under his breath, “So you have an issue with females then, huh Nines? Okieeee, no problem! I can fix that shit up right away.”

Grinning wickedly while his LED light blinked yellow, he danced over to the other side of the clothing lines, and he leaned against a male mannequin. Winking at him loutishly, he purred in a dreamy, coquettishly charged tone of voice. “Hey sexy. Come here often?”

The sliding doors of the mall opened loudly, and as the music on the radio above blared on, a few more people walked in, majority of them with their children, no doubt trying to enjoy a nice day out.

Gavin didn’t stop on their account, however; he continued to blow kisses and wink at the mannequin shamelessly. Watching him in absolute horror, Nines whispered dangerously, “Gavin! Get away from it!! Stop!!”

Pretending like he couldn’t hear him, Gavin rubbed up against the mannequin, almost gyrating and pushing his hips into the inanimate object’s wantonly.

Beside himself with embarrassment, Nines’ emotions fluttered past the point of mortification. Knowing a few new shoppers were watching and whispering among themselves, Nines tried getting Gavin’s attention. “Leave that, Gavin!! Please!!” Unfortunately, his warnings and cries weren’t heeded, and Gavin almost moaned loudly while clinging on to the mannequin.

“Gavin!! Please!! Cut it out!!”

Winking at the mannequin, Gavin leaned up only slightly, due to his superior height. Planting his lips firmly on the corner of the model’s mouth, he sighed and let the kiss smack there obscenely and loudly. Wrapping his arms about the mannequin’s neck, he crooned and then leaned his head on its chest.

“Cutie.” Puckering his lips, he then batted his eyelashes flirtatiously, knowing fully well how much he was hamming it up for the ‘viewers’ and observes about this area of the mall.

One of the little girls of the family standing and watching yanked on her father’s jeans while blushing. “Umm, daddy? What’s that android doing?”

Gripping his daughter’s hand tightly, the man tugged her away from the scene in a jiffy, doing well to cover her eyes with his hand. “Nothing, sweetie,” he answered his daughter’s innocence while glaring madly at Gavin, “he’s just playing around!!”

As they ran away, Nines yanked on the center of Gavin’s CyberLife uniform, but Gavin stubbornly didn’t release his hold on the mannequin. It came with them, and only when Nines was halfway across the clothing section did he pause and peer over his shoulder to notice their new ‘friend’ trailing along.

He ceased walking, and he turned and held the mannequin in a free hand. Propping it up, he hissed angrily at Gavin, “Detective Reed! Let that stupid thing go!!”

“No,” Gavin stubbornly barked out, “go find something appropriate to wear that will look good on me, and leave me with my bae!!”

“This is stupid,” Nines accurately pointed out, “you don’t need to lug this thing around the entire mall with yourself!!” Though he attempted to pry the mannequin from Gavin, the obstinate detective held firmly onto it.

“I will use it to find my size for clothes,” he offered with a sly grin, “this guy’s about my height and size, right?”

Leaning into him with a ferocious snarl, Nines argued strongly, “Detective, you’re an _android_ right now; you don’t need to measure crudely like humans do or go by sight alone to figure your size out!”

….

Damn.

Gavin sighed ruefully once he was caught. “Alright, fine,” he rasped as he shoved the mannequin away and placed it back in its rightful stand. “You’re as boring as an old man’s wrinkly balls, Nines. I was just messin’ around a bit, sheesh!!”

Not at all appreciating being referred to as ‘boring’, especially in such an execrable form of expression by example, Nines grumpily stomped about, snatching anything that looked half decent. He nabbed many dress shirts, some with buttons, some without, and a few new pairs of black and grey dress pants. Gavin didn’t care much what his colleague was up to; he was far too busy with finding stuff for himself. Aiming to be as annoying as possible, he picked up a tacky shirt that had odd yellow font reading: **Dumbass loading**

That was the first of many.

Anything that looked stupid or bad, he would take. He found orange shorts, blue and black shimmering pants, ripped black jeans with a large, thick buckle, and a black cowboy hat. Nines didn’t seem to care for Gavin’s chose in apparel until they stood by the dressing rooms together. Looking aghast and abhorred at Gavin’s irreverent selection, he couldn’t say much else due to overcrowding in the clothing department at once. Unfortunately, as they’d lingered about, more shoppers edged inside, of course drawn to the magnificent sales. Gavin fought to take a few casual khaki pants, pj bottoms, and loose shorts, but then the change rooms were all packed…all except for one on the far end of the line.

Hurrying towards it, he didn’t notice Nines chasing after him. They both screeched out, “I’m going in first!!” Bashing themselves against the half-open door, both men slid inside, nearly toppling over each other. The door banged shut after them, and a Hindi customer service and sales worker stood outside as he made sure their door was tightly closed.

“You both hurry!” he cried out after them, leaving Nines and Gavin stuck together…again.

_Well, this is certainly fucked up…_

Now that he was a little ‘clear-headed’, Gavin took to glaring at Nines. The little stall was just barely enough for both of them to move around in, but due to Gavin’s thicker, broader shoulders, anytime he fanned out his elbows, they knocked into Nines. The android fought back, and soon, they engaged in an awkward skirmish of who would get to sit down on the bench across the door first.

Nines threw his clothes on the hangers and hooks in the wall, while Gavin shoved his way past him and landed on the wooden bench. Crossing a leg over the other, he placed his clothes neatly onto his own lap and grinned fiendishly at Nines.

Irritably, Gavin snarled, “Looks like we’re stuck together again, huh Nines?” He’d been aiming to hurt with his tone and barbed words, but he still immaturely lashed out by kicking Nines in the knees.

“You didn’t need to point it out,” Nines growled contemptuously, “just hurry up and put your stuff on so we can both be freed from each other.”

Holding up a hand, Gavin purred jovially, “Nah, how about you go first?”

“Reed, don’t test me—”

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Gavin tilted his head back and cried scathingly, “HEY!!! THEY DON’T HAVE TOILET PAPER IN HERE???”

At once, all traces of movement on the other side of the change room wall ceased, and someone abruptly gasped, “Eeew, what the hell’s goin’ on over there?!?”

Paling, Nines slowly kicked off his shoes as he grunted, “Don’t do that again, Reed!” While he meekly changed, working very hard not to make eye contact with Gavin, the other man wanted nothing more than to watch Nines squirm again in high amounts of discomfort. He was growing too accustomed to the sight of it lately, and he craved it more than he craved alcohol and his cigarettes.

Patiently, he waited for another ‘opportune’ moment. Allowing Nines to change rapidly, he blocked the android’s view by planting himself in front of the only mirror in the small room. Nines shifted himself to the right, but Gavin got in the way. Then, he tried moving to the left, and Gavin did the same.

Letting out an impatient puff of air, Nines’ shoulders sank as he nervously buttoned up his blue dress shirt. “Reed,” he warned in a deep growl, “stop that. Let me change!”

Blinking innocently with a piercing blue LED light, Gavin gasped, “Waaah? I’m not doin’ anythn’, Nines!! Change away!!” Waving and shooing him with his hands, he sighed, “You do you, boo! I’m just sittin’ here!!” Plopping himself down on the bench once again, he pretended to stare down at his hands firmly clasped in his lap.

Nines eyed him warily but didn’t argue. Spinning around, he undid his belt buckle, let it clatter to the floor, then unzipped himself with a loud ‘zip!’. Gavin waited, and waited, noticing how Nines hesitated before shrugging and shimmying his hips. The pants fell, but his underwear remained firmly on his hips.

Smirking cruelly at his plight and obvious discomfort, Gavin hummed, “Oooh, my view… _my view_ , baaaaaabe.” Wriggling his eyebrows suggestively up and down at Nines, he lunged for his underwear. Wanting nothing more than to reduce Nines to a mortified state, he began pushing his underwear down.

Shrieking, Nines reared up, grabbed a shirt, and he tossed it at Gavin. Letting out a roar of his own once his vision was blackened, Gavin panicked once he saw number signs and other odd codes flashing and appearing in his field of view. Warning alerts went off in his optical units, and at once, he stood. Vigorously, as he yanked the shirt off himself, he unfortunately tripped over Nines’ discarded shoes. Barreling into the android, he knocked Nines back. Nines however assumed this was another aggressive, childish display from Gavin.

Shoving him back in the center of his sternum, he groused viciously, “Don’t push me!!”

Still fighting to gain control over his balance, Gavin stepped on another one of the shoes, but this time, he was beyond annoyed. Nines was pushing him back stronger and stronger, tension mounting within both men in the small changing stall by the minute.

“Don’t touch me!” Gavin barked out aggressively, but Nines didn’t heed his warning and pushed him quite hard. Gavin’s legs and the back of his knees rammed into the bench, and he let out a beastly howl.

Hands outstretched, he yelled mightily, “I said, don’t fuckin’ touch me!!” Not at all realizing his own strength, Gavin powerfully shoved Nines right back in the chest as hard as he could. Catching Nines unaware, he let out a pained shriek as his eyes blew open widely, and he went stumbling back a few feet, directly knocking himself into the door of the stall. It burst open, blasting clean off the hinges, and Nines still kept flying back through the air. Screaming in terror, his hands flailed while he tried finding something to latch onto for purchase. At the same time as he went flying backwards along with the broken door of the change room stall, the same Hindi worker ran towards him, trying to put a stop to all the increasing chaos and madness.

“Oh my god, sirs! What are you—aarrghh!!” Nines plowed into him, and the force and momentum of his body knocked the sales representative off his feet. Rolling over each other messily on the floor, they only stopped sliding when they bashed against the wall across the change room hallway.

Groaning in pain, Nines’ limbs were badly entangled with the sales representative’s, and due to all the noises they’d created in the commotion, many shoppers changing and hanging around the change rooms peeked in the hallway at them. Change room doors opened with a tiny ‘squeak’, and many pairs of eyes landed on Nines and the Hindi sales representative.

Blushing deeply, Nines glared up at Gavin as he shoved the worker off himself. The man sputtered in confusion, first, and then sheer rage. Waving his arms about, he leapt off the floor, back onto his own feet, and he screamed vehemently, “WHAT THE HELL?!?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?! LOOK WHAT YOU BROKE!!” Pointing at the stall door that was shattered and at least in three pieces, he added, “WHO THE HELL’S GOING TO PAY FOR THEEES SHEEEET?!?”

Trying not to poke fun at his thick, heavy Indian accent, Gavin straightened himself out while gesturing at Nines. “He did it! It was his fault!!”

As everyone’s attention turned completely to an abashed Nines scrambling away from the angry sales representative, Gavin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the badly damaged doorway of the stall. Shaking his head back and forth and clicking his tongue against his teeth, he sternly lectured, “Silly Detective Reed here; he doesn’t know his own strength, I keep tellin’ him.”

The look of raw contempt and hatred Nines offered him was so, _so_ worth it. In fact, if Gavin could have done so, he would’ve snapped a photo of it and immortalized the moment to cherish it forever.

**^^**

Gavin remembered to stop by a pet store to grab cat food along the way, and with Nines limping and ambling after him, they finished with their mini ‘shopping spree’. Nines had little to no dignity left, however, and the once egotistical, prideful android was now wincing and cringing in both emotional and physical pain while wandering after Gavin.

Humming and skipping along with sheer joy and zeal channeling through his system, Gavin was as happy as a pig rolling in mud and shit. He loved seeing Nines in such a state, and knowing he himself had caused all this was a triumph worthy of a year long celebration. Yes, finally, Gavin Reed had brought Nines crumbling down.

Amazing.

As soon as they paid for their purchases and when Nines finished covering the costs for repairing the change room door they’d broken, Gavin sat smugly in the car next to Nines. He drove them half a block before he realized Nines’ lips were sealed shut, and that he wasn’t even looking at him, let alone speaking with him.

Pouting immaturely, Gavin stuck out a finger and looped it around Nines’ chin. He felt some semblances of stubble already growing there, and mentally, he added it to the list of ‘things to annoy the shit out of Nines with’. Shaving was going to be priceless.

Wrenching his head away from him, Nines growled moodily, “Get away from me, Reed, before I unleash all my anger and wrath onto you.”

“Ooooh, what a threat!” Gavin chortled, not at all taking Nines seriously. Checking himself out in the mirror quickly, he chirped, “Not intimidating enough for moi, Nines, so you’re gonna have to do a lot better than that!!” Turning to the left, he watched as Nines’ head bobbed almost limply. The android glared out the passenger window, but kept quiet, nonetheless.

So they drove on and on, the world of Detroit in its chaotic beauty and infinite mess all passing them by. The engine purred and roared too loudly while the tires moved along, every so often driving over a bump or a pothole and lurching the machine up and down. It was of no inconvenience, but it was too, too quiet. Eventually, Gavin felt quite annoyed and bored.

Elbowing Nines weakly, he muttered, “Come on, it was just a joke! No need to get all bitchy!!”

Springing up in his seat, with renewed energy, Nines seethed akin to rage expressed by a mad man. Pounding a fist on the dashboard like a judge bashing a gavel down, he ranted, “A _joke_?? At _my_ expense?!? How dare you, Reed!! It is _so_ typical of you to—”

“Hold that thought, Nines,” Gavin interrupted crudely and callously, shoving his index finger right against Nines’ lips. Espying his phone, he beamed at it with pride, almost as though it had done something miraculous and noteworthy. Leaning down towards it, he announced cheerfully, “Incoming call from Fowler!!”

Resisting the urge to bite down on Gavin’s finger, Nines drew himself away as he muttered, “Great. Just the break I needed, anyway.”

Slowing down marginally, Gavin cleared his throat as he actively connected his phone to the Bluetooth of the car and finally answered the call. “You rang, boss?” He couldn’t keep the smirk out of his voice, and Fowler picked up on it right away.

Nearly blasting through the speakers, he yelled potently, “Reed! Knock off your bullshit and listen!!”

“Tis what I was doing, sir…”

Nines rolled his eyes, but clutched their bags of purchased goods to his chest. His fingers twitched, and Gavin immediately knew he wanted nothing more than to throw something. It was amazing how he could literally sense and ‘read’ through that, and he made sure to retaliate as he could. Quickly and without warning, he abruptly and sharply turned the steering wheel to the left when the lane was free. Nines lurched to the left violently, dropping their clothes and bags down at his feet.

“REED!!”

“NINES!!!” Fowler roared right away while a few cars honked. “SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET ME SPEAK FOR A MOMENT!!”

Not quite through yet, a churlish Gavin rapidly changed directions by turning the car swiftly to the right. The tires screeched as loudly as Nines did, and he bashed his head against the passenger window roughly. Clutching at the sore area while his temple throbbed with high amounts of pain, he could only glare at Gavin in silence.

Smirking in vanity and pride befitting a demon, Gavin cleared his throat as he sang, “I’m listenin’ sir!! All eaaaars!”

“Thank god, took you long enough to shut the fuck up,” Fowler grunted impatiently, while Nines held onto his seat, just in case Gavin wanted to swerve the car again.

Giggling internally, Gavin said, “Kay, go.”

“Didn’t need your permission, Reed,” Fowler snapped with much bite. “Listen, I need for you to go and check on a romantic dispute and domestic assault case not too far from home.”

It sounded simple enough, but then Gavin paused as he supplied, “Err, sir, you said that we weren’t supposed to do anything until we figured out how to—”

“I know very well what the hell I said, Reed,” Fowler interrupted dangerously, “don’t test my damn patience today!” When all was silent in the car, he took this as a signal to go on, and he nabbed the opportunity boldly. “I am asking you _both_ to do this because the couple literally lives in your apartment, Reed.”

Eyebrows flying up, both Nines and Gavin gaped at each other before remembering how pissed they were with one another. Nines looked away, and Gavin scowled. “Oh, sounds good, sir, I’ll check it out as soon as we get home.”

“Good,” his superior barked, “see that you do, and for the love of whatever the fuck you both value in your pathetic lives, _don’t_ act stupid and give yourselves away! Got it??”

Sputtering in bewilderment, Nines rasped, “Sir, we—”

A roar akin to that of a lion’s broke through the sound barrier, rendering Nines silent at once. “You bastards!! Just do this damn thing and leave me in peace!!” Fowler sighed wearily, “It’s just an ‘open and shut’ case! How tough is that?!? You’ve both handled bigger things before, so just get your shit together and—”

CLICK!

The call got cut off at once, and Nines stared on in horror at the phone. It had shut off, randomly, but when he leaned over and tapped it, the device turned on again, showing that it was clearly working well enough.

Checking its functions, Nines commented accurately, “It has plenty of battery…”

Trying to stile a laugh, Gavin hissed painfully, “That was _not_ on purpose!!”

Shrinking back at the calamitous, ruinous situation at their hands, Nines brokenly wailed out as he pressed a hand over his face. “You’re going to get us both fired, dear god…”

Gavin only blew a raspberry, grateful that the trip had ended, and they were entering his apartment complex’s large parking lot. Not at all caring as to what Nines was doing, Gavin exited the car, took the elevator up, and burst through his front door. Changing quickly into his new torn jeans and black band shirt, he looped a silly skull chain around his right hip stretching from the back pocket to the front while whistling to himself. He knew he looked amazing as he danced and swayed before the mirror.

Nines joined him, soon, though he most assuredly was _not_ whistling and dancing. He took to feeding Gavin’s cats, while Captain Fowler texted Gavin the small case file on the couple supposedly living one floor down from Gavin’s room. They were a young couple in their early to late twenties, apparently, with the younger male almost reaching his twentieth birthday. They’d never really been in trouble before, but Gavin knew that wasn’t necessarily a determining factor going for or against assault popping up. Right about now, personally, he wanted to assault Nines by shoving his foot up his—

“Detective Reed,” Nines interrupted as he threw away old cat food that was days too old to be edible anymore. “You _can’t_ go with me dressed like _that_.” Gesturing up and down at Gavin’s outfit, the signs and signals were all laid bare as to how he really felt and thought of Gavin’s appearance. “That’s unprofessional! Take those off!!”

Waving him off, Gavin snorted, “It’s fine! We’re just doin’ a personal check! Not like it’s a murder case or some shit.”

Getting in his way, Nines shoved him back with all the force of his body. “I don’t care!” His rough argument shot out like a firecracker, “You’re _not_ going to use my body to dress up like a moron!”

Mimicking him in a slightly nasally, high-pitched tone, Gavin pulled a childish expression as he whined, “You’re _not_ going to use my body to dress up like a moron! Waaaah, waaaah! Get over it, Nines.” Butting his head into Nines’ chin did the trick; the android groaned and backed off, leaving Gavin open space to glide past him.

Vitriolically, Nines bellowed out at the height of frustration, “I’m serious, Reed!! Citizens who are victims of crime don’t need to be supported and protected by an android member of the DPD who looks like some damn punk off the streets!!”

_Sticks and stones, freak._

Opening the door, he called out over his shoulder, “Guess I’m goin’ alone, then. Suits me just fine!!”

Tearing after him, Nines yelled out into the hall, “Fine then!! But just so you know, when you get back, I’m burning those clothes!!”

Pausing mid-step, Gavin eerily froze before his neck swiveled around to face Nines. Glaring pointedly at him, he warned, “You wouldn’t _dare_.”

Chin jutting out defiantly, Nines cried sharply, “Watch me!! Who said you could go buy those, anyway?”

Wanting to at least have the last word in with a good enough taunt, Gavin wittily threw out, “Same person who made sure you had to pay over a thousand dollars in repairs today; that’s who.”

Gavin did a tiny dance of celebration when Nines slammed the door immediately after hearing that comeback. Pleased to be left to his own devices, Gavin took to whistling again as he headed down the stairs towards apartment 204. His apartment number was 304, due to being on the third level, and this was just a floor down. Perfect. Things started out well enough, with Gavin snickering and giggling as he recalled how angry Nines had been with him.

Strangely, however, rather than elation and joy sticking with him like candy on Velcro, Gavin started feeling empty and troubled as soon as he reached the second floor. What was going on, then??? Hadn’t pestering Nines been something wonderful and great for him?? If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve wagered that he was feeling small twinges of guilt hitting him at once.

But why?? This was coming from nowhere, practically!! What did he have to feel guilty over?? It was all just a harmless joke, as he’d explained to Nines before in the car!! No harm, no foul!! Just fun and games!!

Though he tried convincing himself of that, the more he focused, the less he could pull it through. The ideas just wouldn’t sink in, and he grew increasingly frustrated with himself. Failing when it came to pissing Nines off wasn’t something he was used to, nor was it a custom for him to feel badly for angering the android. Why did he need to feel angry and guilty?? Nines was and had _always_ been a consistent pain in the dick!! Since the day they’d met, he was bossy, always trying to ‘out class’ everyone, marched around as though the world owed him a favor or two, and wanted to take Gavin’s job!! The job he’d worked so hard for!!!

Fuck that. Fuck Nines! He didn’t deserve remorse, pity, or an apology!! No, if anything, he needed rounds of coarsely abusive language from a bilious Gavin Reed!!

Yeah…that was much better!!

Feeling his mood uplifted and ebullient as he entertained thoughts of punching the shit out of Nines until he turned into a pulp, Gavin smiled wider than ever as he approached the door of apartment 204. Making sure his hair wasn’t as messy as he supposed it was due to changing hurriedly, Gavin stood back tall, and he knocked on the door three times boldly. The sounds channeled down the hall on the other side of the door perfectly, and a few moments later, Gavin heard footsteps approaching.

The door’s lock was then undone, and it swung open.

Eager to greet the individual pleasantly, Gavin waved as he cheerfully chirped out, “Good afternoon, I’m—

Gavin’s stomach bottomed out as soon as he saw who’d answered the door. The person there also had their eyes as wide as a deer’s caught in bright headlights, and a soft gasp escaped their mouth.

**^^**

“Jayden!?!?!”

How could it be??! Blinking hard, Gavin refocused his vision, and to his sheer horror, he found that he hadn’t been dreaming or imagining things at all. Jayden from Grindr was standing in the open doorway, looking as terrified and shocked to see him as he was.

The young man looked just the same-if not better-in person than online. His hair had been freshly washed, with dewy droplets clinging to the bangs that stuck together and were parted to the left, just as the young man preferred. His skin was smooth, shiny, and glowing, practically. He wore light brown loafers, cream-colored casual jeans, and a thin, white t-shirt. His eyebrows appeared to have been ‘worked on’, to some degree. They were too clean, too perfect, and a shade just a tad darker than his body hair.

Scrambling before he wasted too much time gaping like a dumbfounded moron, Gavin choked, “Oh my—wait! What’re you doing here?!?”

Running out into the hall, Jayden leaned into him as he spat nervously, “Me?!? I live here! What the hell are _you_ doing here?!?”

Pointing at himself, Gavin protested curtly, “I’m from the DPD, Jayden! There was a disturbance and a case of domestic abuse reported to me!!”

Growing whiter than a ghost, Jayden gasped, “You…oh my god…you’re a _cop_?!?”

Before Gavin could answer, the door opened again, and this time, a large man even taller than Gavin trapped in Nines’ body appeared behind Jayden. This man was burly, and Gavin pegged him immediately as a body builder or an athlete. His veins and muscles protruded and bulged, and he looked like a guy Gavin wouldn’t dare mess with at all. He had shortly cropped, buzz-cut hair that was soft black in color, and he had one ear pierced. His right ear had a single, shiny, silver loop earring, and he had a small goatee as dark as his eyelashes, eyebrows, and eyes. His eyes were beady and dark, and he had minor bags under them. His skin was alabaster and slightly sickly, but otherwise, he was one big bastard.

He wore a black wife beater, and deep blue jeans. They were partly unzipped, and Gavin had to glance away in disgust. From the top of his shoulders down to his wrists on both hands, he had full sleeves and tattoos. They were of many things. Crows, skulls, flames, robots with bright red eyes, dead, sickly trees, ghosts, and a giant, skeletal middle finger. 

_Lovely guy._

Staring awkwardly at the man, Gavin fumbled and tripped over his words. “Err, is this, umm…”

Shit. What was he to say, _really_?? He had no idea ‘Jayden’ would be this close in Detroit, and he’d foolishly thought that the young man was at least single. Last he’d remembered, it didn’t specifically state on his Grindr whether he was romantically involved with someone or not…he really shouldn’t have leapt to conclusions.

The tough-looking man aggressively grunted, “I’m Brendan. The hell do you want?”

LED light red, Gavin bitterly chewed out, “I am here because my superior from the Detroit Police Department claimed that your neighbors reported signs of domestic abuse and assault.” Making sure all the necessary words were clearly pronounced and enunciated, he expounded, “I’m here to check on things. May I come in for a chat?”

Pressing a hand down on Jayden’s shoulder, the other man replied coldly, “You’re ahead of yourself, officer. There haven’t been proper introductions.”

Jayden squirmed and gently pried the other man’s large hand off his body, eyes remaining submissively down at the floor. Gavin didn’t want to get ahead of himself and run away with his thoughts, but everything he’d learned about in college courses regarding human psychology and behavior, as well as taking training at the police academy screamed out as red flags of danger to him. Jayden’s closed-off body posture, his heart rate shooting up to one-hundred and ten beats per minute, his heavy perspiration, and his ‘submissive’ actions shouted out one thing, and one thing alone.

Domestic abuse and control.

Livid with anger at the way Jayden was being treated, Gavin snarled, out, “You should co-operate with me if you’ve nothing to hide. It’ll be easier on everyone here.”

Still not intimidated, Brendan vilified Gavin by snapping out abrasively, “I asked for your name, _officer_ …aren’t you gonna tell it to me?”

After many long moments of thorough staring and observation between Jayden and Brendan, Gavin sensed that the situation was growing more and more tense by the minute. There was just no telling what this Brendan was going to do to Jayden, and there was no way on earth Gavin was going to put the younger man at risk. This was already marked in the back of his mind as a high-risk situation, and there was no way he was going to incur the wrath of Brendan by foolishly and purposefully ignoring his request.

Nodding plaintively at Brendan, Gavin announced in a bold, clear voice, “I’m Lieutenant Nines.”

“Lieutenant, eh?” Brendan chortled, gathering Jayden to his side. Eyes sternly set on Gavin, he then pushed out inquisitively, “Haven’t heard of anyone called ‘Nines’, before…funny world we live in.”

Painfully throwing Gavin a distraught look as though to beg for help, Jayden whispered, “I’m sure it’s just his model number or something.”

_Smart guy._

Nodding again, Gavin clarified succinctly, “He’s right. I’m an RK900 android, but they call me ‘Nines’ for short. It’s a lot…” His eyes zeroed in on Jayden, and the young man blushed as he broke away from his gaze.

“…Easier that way…”

“Whatever.” Shifting for a moment, Brendan agnized, “Nothing’s the matter here, Lieutenant, so if you could kindly get back to solving real, legit cases instead of wasting your police department’s time with nothing important, then I’d be grateful for your service and all.” Drawing himself back, he tugged forcefully on Jayden’s arms, but the young man wouldn’t budge.

“Woah, woah, hang on a second,” Gavin headed towards them, frowning deeply at Jayden. “I didn’t get his name…”

The moment these words left Gavin’s lips, Brendan threw an icy glare that could have perhaps been interpreted as a vicious warning disparaging Jayden from speaking, or could have been a promise of something much darker and more sinister. Gavin hoped that it was neither of the two, and before his thoughts ran amok with worry and frenzy he knew he wouldn’t be able to contain and control, Jayden spoke up.

Innocently, he exclaimed in one smooth breath, “I’m Dennis, but my friends call me Denny.”

_Dennis…Denny…no, Dennis…yeah, that suits him just fine._

It really was a nice name for a nice kid, after all.


	6. Do Not Disturb

Gavin was truly shocked they’d let him into their apartment, but they had without much of a fuss in the way. Immediately, Gavin used Nines’ android powers of investigating by scanning the apartment for drugs and concealed weapons. He noticed many traces of weed hidden away in cupboards, on shelves, and in drawers, but it was and had been a legal substance for years. No cause for worry. He was looking for harder drugs such as Red Ice or Cocaine, but he couldn’t find anything. Suspiciously, however, he didn’t see a single photograph of Brendan or Dennis in the apartment. It wasn’t that they even needed to be together posing in a photo; there weren’t photos of _any_ humans in their abode. Photos of a few dogs and cats however hung on the walls, but Gavin didn’t inquire about them.

Tersely, he found traces of alcohol on the kitchen table, but oddly enough, the apartment was quite clean. The dishes in the kitchen had all been washed and put away in their rightful places, the floors and carpets had been cleaned, mopped and vacuumed. The windows had been washed as well, and they sparkled and twinkled pleasantly in the late afternoon glow and effulgent rays of the sun peeking in through the blinds.

Odd…but why was it ‘odd’? What had he been expecting to even find? A body? Bruises all over Dennis? Would all that make it a more legitimate and a serious, credible case?

Gavin knew better than that. Many abuse victims didn’t parade around with scars or broken bones, especially if an abusive, authoritative partner still lingered and hung around the picture. Brendan was that person, and Gavin pegged him as an antagonist the moment he observed the bulkier man.

Though he didn’t utter a single word while Gavin paced about scanning things, Gavin knew he was growing agitated and nervous by the minute.

**Bioscan in process…results pending…pending…**

**Results for: Brendan, J. Walker**

**Date of Birth: February 17 th, 2010**

**Gender: Male**

**Age: 29**

**Occupation: Nightclub owner**

**Criminal Record: No prior record**

**Heart Rate: 107 beats per minute**

**Physical Status and Psychological state: Annoyed, agitated, highly suspicious and neurotic**

Very interesting, indeed.

Dennis, on the other hand, seemed to be more laid back, but he was on the alert. Remaining distant from Brendan, the younger man leaned against a wall outside the kitchen keeping his hands loosely stretched over his lap while Gavin paced about. Taking a peek into the bedroom, he found that everything was impeccable and in order there, as well. The drawers were shut, the closet doors were firmly closed, things smelled clean and fresh, and the bed was made up.

Fair enough.

Moving back into the den, he saw Brendan lighting a cigarette and brushing the ashes off his dark wife beater tank top. When their eyes met, Brendan exhaled as he moodily orated, “Found what you were lookin’ for then, Lieutenant?”

_No. Not even close._

Putting on a phony smile, Gavin stood before Brendan calmly. Gently holding his hands at his back and clasping them as he’d often witnessed Nines doing, he inquired carefully, “May I ask a few questions?”

Cleverly, Brendan retorted, “That’s one there.”

Rolling his eyes, Dennis cut in with, “It’s fine. We’ll answer them.”

Bowing in respect, Gavin calmly faced him. Raising his neck slightly, Dennis again flushed while Gavin started intently at him. Finally, as a clock ticked by loudly somewhere, Gavin gruffly bit out, “Might I know of the nature of your relationship, here?”

At once, Dennis’ eyes shifted over at Brendan, but then broke away. It’d all happened so lightning quick, that had Gavin not been an experienced, seasoned observer and detective, he wouldn’t have caught it the first time around. However, due to his heightened powers, he most definitely noticed it, as well as the minor leap in pulse and heart rate readings for Dennis. The fact that the younger man had even glanced for half a second at Brendan told Gavin plenty.

This was a man who needed permission from someone else to make his own choices. This was a highly toxic, manipulative relationship, and nothing was going to change his mind or opinion on the matter.

Exhaling deeply, Brendan folded his hands behind his head, leaned back in the dark sofa he’d currently been seated on, and he draped his left leg over the right one. Shrugging nonchalantly, he crowed sarcastically, “What’s it to you, Lieutenant?”

He’d expected this answer, but Gavin politely said, “I hold no bias, so please answer.”

Convinced, Brendan sighed, “We’re in an open relationship.”

_Aha. That would explain why Jay-I mean, Dennis was fuckin’ around on Grindr._

None of that was a cause for alarm, nor was it wandering into dangerous territory. As long as they were both consenting adults, with Dennis especially about to turn twenty, there was nothing Gavin could do…yet. While no one had lied to him, he still wanted to be absolutely clear with his information.

Nodding plaintively at Brendan, he summarized swiftly, “So that just means you’re both together, but you’re open to seeing other people romantically?”

Flicking his ashes in an old ashtray on the side table by the sofa, Brendan grunted in boredom, “Well, as long as we tell each other about it, and as long as we’re practicing safe sex, yeah…sometimes I bring a guy home, and sometimes Dennis does. What’s the point here again, Lieutenant?”

Innocently gazing back and forth between Dennis and Brendan, Gavin chimed in with a small laugh. “I didn’t mean anything by it, Mr. Walker, please be calm.”

Shaking, Brendan rasped as his eyes widened, “Forgot how creepy you damn things are…” Settling back into the couch, he pointed out semi-nervously, “You probably ran my entire background check soon as you walked in the door, huh?”

Blatantly choosing to ignore that, Gavin instead focused his questions on the nature of the relationship between the two men. “How long have you been seeing each other?”

Jumping at the opportunity to respond, Brendan announced dully, “Two years.”

“I see. How did you two meet?”

Fuming mildly, Brendan supplied irritably, “Look, I run a respectable nightclub, Lieutenant!” Motioning over at Dennis, he clarified angrily, “Dennis happened to drink and dance in that club, I saw him one night, he saw me, sparks flew as we talked, and we’ve been together since.”

Frowning, Gavin struggled not to let his emotions bleed over into displaying a red LED light. “But you have problems, don’t you?”

Waving him off, Brendan snapped, “We argue, but then again, which couple doesn’t?” Pointedly, he added, “Some days are good, some are bad, but that’s how shit rolls.”

Gavin knew Brendan was the type of person who had a short temper, and it didn’t take much of an effort to set his fuse off. In fact, he reminded Gavin a lot of himself when he was in his mid-twenties, and it pissed him off to no end. He didn’t want to be drawing comparisons between himself and this clearly abusive shit stain. Sure. He’d had plenty of gals in his time, but he’d treated them all properly. He’d been faithful to each and every single one of them, and he’d never pressured them into ‘open relationships’ or anything like that.

But he had a sneaking suspicion that this ‘open relationship’ thing wasn’t something Dennis wanted to be a part of.

Deciding to test that for himself, Gavin rounded on Dennis, next. He’d long since heard rumors from Connor and Hank that the RK900 had an ability to sniff out a lie. It was supposedly the only android model that knew when a human was being deceptive, and its results were apparently 99% correct…

_Let’s check it out for ourselves._

Smiling, he tried ensuring that he remained calm and collected so Dennis would answer him truthfully. He didn’t need the results messed with in some way, but he very carefully scanned the human as he spoke to him.

“How’re you finding your relationship with Brendan?”

Dennis stared at the floor for a moment, and his heart rate leapt and skipped a few beats. It was natural, however; he’d been put on the spot all too quickly.

**Bioscan processing. Target focus: Likelihood of deception.**

**Status and probability of deception anticipated at a likelihood of 50%**

Gavin waited patiently.

Taking his time with it, Dennis’ eyebrows quirked up, and he brushed his bangs out of his eyes when they curtained down. “Umm, well, it’s okay, I guess…” Laughing bitterly, he then phrased his own question, “Not sure what you mean…could you clarify?”

“Sure.” Gavin expounded, “Do you care for Brendan?”

Somewhere behind him, Brendan let out a crude snort, but Gavin ignored it. Not at all taking his eyes off Dennis, he saw exactly when the young male turned even whiter than a phantom, and when his pupils dilated.

“Yeah, of course I do.”

**Result of deception reading: 94% deceptive response.**

“Hmm,” Gavin pushed it a little by asking, “would you say he treats you well?”

Kicking a leg of the coffee table abruptly, Brendan effectively frightened Dennis. The younger man chewed his lower lip, a worried expression working its way onto his face with difficulty, as though he was forcing himself not to reveal anything crucial. His eyebrows knotted and furrowed as though he were in pain, but Gavin didn’t pick on it.

Growling, Brendan barked out his interruption, “That’s not your business, Lieutenant!”

“I’ll rephrase,” Gavin clipped out, “Dennis, would you say you _both_ treat each other well?”

To this, there wasn’t much in the way of a rebuttal and argument from Brendan.

Fidgeting for a moment, Dennis wet his lips as he replied, “Yeah…of course…he’s good to me!”

_I asked about you BOTH, Dennis…you’re protecting him…_

**Result of deception reading: 98.78% deceptive response.**

Scratching his head, Brendan then put out his cigarette as he cried out rudely, “Kay, if that’s all you got, Lieutenant, then you better go back to your work and leave us alone.”

Backing off when he knew the situation was getting out of hand, Gavin replied, “Of course, but I have one last question, and then I swear I’ll go.”

Not at all pleased to hear this, Brendan muttered, “Alright. Ask your damn question, then.”

Hating that he was rushed, Gavin barely nodded in appreciation just for the sake of calming Brendan down. He didn’t at all want to thank this putrid beast; he wanted to beat the living shit out of him. But social manners and laws didn’t permit that, sadly. Instead, he relied on the final thing he could hope to ask Dennis, and have the young man tell him the truth.

Almost pleadingly, Gavin approached Dennis, though he made sure not to get too close when Brendan growled like a mad dog.

_I’m not touchin’ him, you prick; he’s all yours…for now._

Remembering to smile, Gavin gently and sweetly asked with very little expectations displayed openly, so no one could catch on, “Dennis, are you happy with Brendan?”

….

No one moved, no one breathed, and no one certainly blinked an eye. All around the apartment, appliances could be heard working, buzzing, humming and ticking. Gavin’s superior audio receptors even took in sounds of pipes working, old plumbing functioning on either side of the walls, as well as the distinct noises of birds chirping yards away outside.

It was as if the world had even stopped moving; everyone was waiting for Dennis to answer.

But then, Dennis broke out of his mini reverie. It was likely that he knew he was wasting time and causing Lieutenant ‘Nines’ to become suspicious. Gavin also sensed that Brendan had a lot to do with how Dennis was behaving. No doubt, the older partner was glaring and scowling at the young man, almost as though threatening and warning him silently and telepathically.

Finally, Dennis swallowed before he intoned, “I’m very happy, Lieutenant.”

**Result of deception reading: 100% deceptive response.**

“Good,” was all Gavin could say, but the moment he’d whispered it under his breath, Dennis offered him a look that nearly blew him back a few feet powerfully like a wave slamming into him.

It may have just been a look, but it was a look that weighed heavily on staying sensiferous. Sensation and emotions were conveyed plenty to Gavin from Dennis. The young man even held an arm out to Gavin as he whispered, “I’ll show you out now, Lieutenant…”

Brendan followed them all too quickly like a hawk zooming in on its prey. Knowing he was being observed, Dennis forced a smile onto his face as his eyes turned slightly dewy. His grip tightened on Gavin’s arms, and the detective trapped in an android’s body didn’t even need to scan Dennis to know for a fact that he was feeling perplexed and terrified. It was all painted right there onto his face like an open book.

Eyes widening dynamically as he unlocked the front door for Gavin, Dennis emphasized strongly, “You’ll be sure to _call_ ahead of time if you have more questions, right Lieutenant?”

Having already caught on long ago, Gavin only answered blandly, “Sure. I think everything should be fine for now, though, but yes, I’ll call…I’ll call.”

He heard what sounded a lot like ‘no you fucking won’t’ from Brendan, but it wasn’t enough-not nearly enough-to keep him away. As far as Gavin Reed was concerned, this situation was an alarmingly dangerous, poisonous one. An obvious victim was present here, and an obvious villain was controlling him, abusing him, and manipulating him.

_It’ll end when I say it will._

As the door swung open and he moved out into the hall, Gavin faintly noticed how Dennis’ fingers trailed over the back of his shirt, so very reluctant to let go of him. Before he had a chance to look back at the young blonde, the door had already closed.

**^^**

“Gavin, your body’s hungry.”

“Fuckin’ feed it, then.”

“We’ve run out of food…”

“Ugh…”

Flustered beyond the point of no return, Gavin turned away from Nines. They were seated in the kitchen, with Nines hovering close to the stove, and then the fridge, while Gavin sat at the table, head draped in a propped-up hand. While his thoughts conflicted with his emotions and logic, Gavin only drew one conclusion.

He was highly concerned about Dennis.

Nines incessantly opened the fridge door five more times until it came to be too much to tolerate for a peevish, sensitive Gavin Reed. LED light blaring red like an alarm, he glared up at Nines as he called out to him, “Pick something to eat, now.”

Spinning around, Nines scowled as he coughed out, “But there’s no food there!!”

“Ever heard of take out?” Sardonically, he added, “Order a pizza or somethin’! Just let me do my shit, Nines!!”

Suddenly taking up an interest with what Gavin had said, the wheels in Nines’ head began turning as he pointed and stood before Gavin swiftly. “Work? Oh, right!” Gesturing at the ceiling as though calling on some other entity from another plane of existence, he jabbed sarcastically, “This is a first for you; actually getting some work done. What happened when you went over to the apartment Captain Fowler was speaking of?”

Too much had happened, and Gavin had no idea where to start. He wasn’t too thrilled with the notion of updating Nines on everything, but they were still technically work _partners_ in this. That meant that Nines had to be informed of anything either way, whether Gavin liked it or not. His preference wouldn’t signify, and while he wanted to play his cards close to his chest, he knew he couldn’t realistically get away with doing that.

Regretfully, he only offered up the basics, and the bare minimum as far as answers were concerned. Derisively, he growled to himself before tersely tossing out between pursed lips, “Nothin’ happened; I went over there like Fowler asked, and I visited the couple’s apartment. Turned out that there wasn’t anythin’ special goin’ on, but I think the one guy was hidin’ somethin’.”

“Hmm,” Nines pondered it over while lost deeply in his thoughts. “What about the woman? Was she okay? What did she say to you?”

If he had been a human as previously, Gavin knew he would’ve flushed deep pink at this. Mildly discombobulated at his own embarrassment, he froze before his yellow LED light gave away his true inner feelings.

Nines noticed it spot on, and he gave out a dramatic sigh. “Sorry, what did the other _man_ say?”

At least he was clever about it.

“Yeah,” Gavin nodded, “it was two dudes, and one of them is almost twenty, while the other guy’s knockin’ on the door of thirty.”

“You sound cynical about it,” Nines assumed incorrectly, and Gavin had to throw him a disdainful sneer for his observation.

Drumming and tapping his fingers over the smooth, cold surface of the kitchen table, Gavin’s scowl turned deeper and deeper. Almost involuntarily, his thoughts ran dark. Not knowing how exactly to shield himself from Nines’ line of inquiry, his mood turned sour in no time at all. He hated how he’d worked so hard over the years to dissimulate in front of many different groups and crowds of people, successfully fooling each and every single one of them, yet when it came to Nines, the infernal, infamous RK900 of the DPD, there was no fooling here.

Nines likely read right through him like an open book, and Gavin despised him even more because of it. Nothing was ‘private’ and ‘off limits’ when it came to Nines, and now, what sucked even more, and what added to Gavin’s dire, unending plight was the fact that Nines was practically his roommate.

Somewhere, an entity in the universe had it out for Gavin Reed.

Taking his time with sampling Nines’ last accusation disguised as a question, Gavin settled for being blunt, but not too rude to interject his own opinions. “I don’t care if they’re a gay couple, lesbian pair of African dancing elephants, or a wild-ass pair of Canadian Geese, Nines…” Mind spinning on overdrive, he held onto the left side of his temple as he ground out firmly and diligently, “…I don’t trust the one guy, and I’m pretty sure he’s abusive towards the younger one.”

Nines opened his mouth to intervene, but Gavin expounded more to himself, “I’m fuckin’ positive about it and can lay my life on the line for it.”

Pausing as though to wonder whether he could get a word in, Nines orated calmly, “I don’t know what half of that means, Reed. Who’s the ‘one guy’, and how do we distinguish him from the ‘younger one’?”

Once Gavin moodily glared daggers at him, Nines chuckled, “Specifics, detective; I need specifics.”

Relenting, Gavin threw out carelessly, “Brendan Walker. He’s almost thirty, and yet he’s with a nineteen-year old, Nines.”

Shrugging, Nines pointed out sagely, “So? That’s not illegal; nineteen is above the age of consent. You know that.”

Mildly shocked at what he was hearing, Gavin mentally commented to himself, _Wait…Nines doesn’t have an issue with a young guy being with an older guy??? Isn’t that…that’s unlike him…_

Forcing himself to snap out of it, Gavin irritably answered, “That’s _not_ my point, dude.” Pointing in an accusatory manner at Nines, he explained vigorously, “I have a nasty feeling about Brendan, and that was all within bein’ around him for the first minute!! Dennis was freaked out, too! I could tell!!”

Tilting his head curiously in the way he often would do, when Nines did it in Gavin’s body, it looked terribly out of place in the detective’s eyes. “Dennis?” Nines echoed, “I’m assuming he’s the younger one.”

“Nooooo,” Gavin sarcastically droned out, “He’s Donald Trump and Putin’s bastard lovechild!! Of course he’s the young one!!”

Rounding on him angrily, Nines’ eyes darkened with malice as his shoulders tensed up. Clearly taking a defensive stance, he swooped over Gavin as he hissed, “There’s no need to be sarcastic, you little—”

At once, they were interrupted by a loud gurgling, growling sound. Their eyes fell to Nines’ stomach, and the shocked android slammed a hand down on the human torso he was trapped in. Eyes wider than ever, he weakly squawked, “I hate when it does that!!”

Rolling his eyes almost into the back of his head, Gavin sighed, “Just stop. Let’s stop bickering and order yourself a damn pizza.”

Wincing when his belly demanded food again, Nines drawled, “Umm, do you recommend a particular…umm…place?”

_Pappa John’s it is._

Not even hesitating, Gavin snatched his phone off the kitchen table and swiped to turn it on. Speed dialing his ‘favorite’ contact, he waited as someone picked up on the second ring. Smiling, Gavin cried out, “Hey, can I get one medium—”

“Make it a large,” Nines shyly coughed out, cheeks redder than the fires of hell as he turned away from facing Gavin.

Grinding his teeth together, Gavin sighed, “Sorry, can I get one large pizza, extra cheese, loads of sauce, and a crap ton of pepperoni?” On the other end of the line, the android whom he’d grown too accustomed to serving and baking his pizza heartily laughed out in agreement.

“Awesome,” Gavin added, “oh, I’d also like a free drink with the deal, for the pig livin’ with me for now. Thanks.”

Whirling back around, Nines aggressively screamed, “REED!!”

As soon as he hung up, he tossed the phone at Nines. The android caught it quickly, his reflexes not really suffering in spite of being stuck as a hungry human. It pissed Gavin off, but he merely hummed as he took a step towards Nines. Instinctively, the android backed away, but Gavin didn’t cease approaching him. Step by step, they moved, and only when Nines’ back and shoulders hit the fridge did Gavin cease getting closer.

Grunting uncomfortably, he glared down at his own feet as he snapped, “Reed, I’m not in the mood for your games. Leave me alone, alright?”

“It’ll be ready in about twenty minutes,” Gavin snickered, raising a hand and letting a few of his android fingers trail down Nines’ right cheek. The android aggressively turned his head away, frown deepening and forming little wrinkles on the human skin. Wanting to compare the textures and feelings, Gavin pressed a hand over Nines’ cheek fully, and then placed his free hand over his new body’s cheek.

…Yes, there was a difference there, after all.

While he’d been examining, Nines quivered terribly to his core. Eyelids twitching, it took him all the force necessary to clip out almost frightfully, “Reed…wh-what the hell are you doing?”

…What _was_ he doing, indeed?

He couldn’t help it. Fingers running up and down the human cheek, Gavin felt sweat, warmth, and blood pounding layer by layer through veins, muscles and sinew stretching, and holding up due to a solid skeletal mass. It reminded him all too well of who he was, what he’d been, and how he’d been for the first 37 years of his life.

Did he miss being a human?? Did he long for his old body and form to be returned to him, flaws and all?? Truly, he felt he had no idea as he drew himself closer and closer to Nines, stroking his cheek and feeling the all too familiar sensation of rough stubble scratching over his skin. It didn’t bring any physical sensation for himself, however. Instead, there were a few numbers, the option to zoom in and scan deeper, and the literal definitions of DNA and essences found there on the facial hair were readily available to his android features. Had the world of an android always been that black and white?? Did they always look at people and their entire forms in such code-like ways? So far removed from what it meant to sense, to experience, to reflect, to cherish, to form memories…?

_I don’t think I understand…_

Maybe it was better not to understand…after all, one thing was for certain, and always would be set in stone that way. As soon as they resumed their old lifestyles and things went back to normal, Gavin would go back to being Gavin, and Nines would go back to being Nines. This was a momentary lapse in their ‘partnership’, and they were only working together for one goal. Other than this, they never got along, and never would.

Drawing his hand back, Gavin pulled himself away from Nines as he retreated to the living room while instructing for Nines to just sit tight and wait for the pizza after his stomach let out another deep growl.

 _He’ll always be a stupid android,_ his grim, gloomy thoughts persisted, _and to him, I’ll always be the annoying pest of a human he despises working with. Nothin’ else to see here._

What had he even been expecting?

**^^**

Nines was sulking for the rest of the evening. After consuming the pizza, he resorted to scratching his face as though a million fleas and ants crawled about on it. Just watching him and listening to him made Gavin’s skin itchy, and he had no idea how that was even possible to begin with.

Despondently, he warned Nines to cease with the scratching, but the android would only pause a few times before his fingernails scraped like a shovel over the earth and dirt.

‘Scratch, scratch, scraaaaatch’.

Over and over again, Nines attacked the skin that _still_ technically belonged to Gavin Reed. He was treating Gavin’s body like shit; abusing it without even paying the slightest bit of attention to his actions and the effects they would leave. This infuriated Gavin, but he put off attacking Nines…for all of ten minutes.

‘Scratch, scratch, scraaaatch!’

_Can’t stand this shit anymore._

As he’d been taking out the recycling, Gavin held up the boxes and bags halfway out the front door as he snidely barked, “Oy, asshole, need I remind you that you’re in _my_ body doin’ that kind of shit??”

Frozen for a moment, Nines cringed as he snidely argued, “Think about that for a moment and pause, Gavin…”

“Wha?”

Cocking an eyebrow, Nines orated softly, “I’m _in_ your body?”

….

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Gavin snapped, losing his patience by the minute like water seeping into a boat with a hole in it. “What’s your issue with how I’m talkin’, now?” Preparing for an argument, he lowered his bags and fanned his shoulders out broadly.

Nines wasn’t affected much by the dominant display as he sarcastically shot out, “That sounds wrong even by my standards, Reed.” Blinking his eyelids almost to an over-exaggerated, seraphic state, he purred angelically, “Nasty shit, as you would say yourself.”

Gavin nearly fainted. “Nines,” placing a hand over his chest, his eyes widened as he wheezed, “did you just make a joke???” Since when had Nines found a damn sense of humor?!? Was he imagining things or dreaming?!? He would’ve punched himself in the face to ‘wake up’, but there would be no point in doing that; he couldn’t feel shit.

Futile.

Gaping like a moron with his jaw wide open, Gavin again squeaked, “I can’t believe you just joked like that, dude…weird…” Shaking his head, he added under his breath, “Guess I’m goin’ crazy, after all.”

Draping a leg over the other on the sofa, Nines resembled someone who was far too comfortable with his environment for Gavin’s tastes. As far as the moody detective was concerned, Nines was still technically a guest…an _unwanted_ one, at that, but a guest. Why was he sitting about like a damn King on his throne looking down on his peasants and serfs??

“What’s the matter, Reed?” Nines quipped, “What’s gotten into you tonight?”

Eyeing him nervously, Gavin’s LED light flashed red and yellow a few times, and he hated it. How did other androids control that stupid thing, anyway??? Why did his have to automatically shift and adapt to his moods and feelings?? Was it always good at anticipating and reading emotions and reflecting them that way?? If so, creepy shit…

Face scrunching up as though he’d heard or tasted something unpleasant and foul, Gavin protested, “Nothin’s wrong with me, plastic—oops, I mean…haha…” Laughter dying down, he ran a hand through his hair as he rasped, “Aaaawkward…I can’t call you ‘plastic prick’ anymore, can I?”

Smirking, Nines coolly replied, “Guess not. But you can still refer to me as ‘dipshit’, if you like.”

Opening the door slowly, Gavin muttered more so to himself, “I think you’re havin’ way too much fun there, Nines; you should be thinkin’ of how we can return to our bodies…” Freezing for a moment, he shifted awkwardly before adding, “I mean, I would, anyway…”

“Take your own advice, Reed,” Nines argued with much witticism before gently stroking Gavin’s cat when she sat on his lap and kneaded his chest and thighs for attention. Smiling down at her, he watched as she spun around in a small circle, kneading and prodding him before finding a comfortable zone for herself and lying down in a small fetal position. Her purrs of satisfaction and joy could be heard from quite a distance, and Gavin had to smile upon hearing it.

Gently rubbing her ears and then her entire back from her neck to her tail, almost, Nines took his time caring for her and holding her in his lap before chuckling. Fondly, he stated while staring down at the cat, “I must admit, this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting…”

 _Me neither,_ came Gavin’s next thought. Grateful it never made it out past his lips, he frowned as he opened the door wider before glaring out into the dimly lit halls of the apartment. The air was different, outside, and his temperature readings kicked on and alerted him to the fact that the difference was at least two degrees cooler.

“The report on the couple,” Nines’ voice suddenly hit him, nearly causing Gavin to leap up in fright. Continuing, Nines smoothly asked, “Have you submitted the report to Captain Fowler yet?”

Like a child caught not doing his homework or causing trouble, Gavin groaned before his eyes snapped shut. Though he tried to count to ‘three’, think of ‘happy thoughts’ and visit his ‘happy place’ as his childhood therapist had suggested when he’d suffered through mandatory anger management courses, Gavin found that none of those methods for calming himself down worked right now.

If Nines was going to nag at him and get on his case, there would be hell to pay…and it didn’t matter that it was almost past midnight. He’d already received his fair share of nagging from his parents half his damn life, and he didn’t need it from someone who was living in his house as an extra nuisance while clearly _not_ paying or chipping in with the fucking rent.

Torn between wanting to kick Nines out and just walking away, Gavin chose an entirely new option, instead.

He spoke to Nines.

Keeping his answer as ‘professional’ as he could, Gavin only interjected with, “I don’t think I know how to do that, but I was gonna get to it at one point or another.” It wasn’t entirely a lie; this was still a part of his job, and he had to complete it. However, he had no idea _how_ to do it as an android…he’d seen and heard of both Nines and Connor mentally or telepathically sending stuff like that off, as well as receiving further instructions, but he never was interested in how that process actually worked.

…Until now, anyway.

Without Gavin needing to say much else, Nines seemed to understand what it is he wanted to communicate through. Folding his hands over the cat’s back, his fingers tenderly stroked slower and slower, the pace doing well enough to send the cat into a deep, comfortable slumber. Keeping his professional demeanor, he instructed softly, “Select the case; it’ll be pending in your ‘most recent’ tasks, right on the top of the list, or you can find it using the chronological dates.”

His instructions had been correct and perfectly comprehended in no time. Gavin saw the active cases blinking on and off, the red ones being marked as higher importance and priority, and the orange ones of medium priority. The date on the second one from the top blinking orange was of today, and Gavin selected it as Nines suggested. The case loaded, and he was able to see the full report, when it had been called in, and who had signed it off to them assigning them to the case.

_‘The Walker case-#9384’._

“Is it the ‘Walker Case’?” He asked dumbly, and Nines only smiled at him in silence for it.

“Oh…” Realizing his error, Gavin corrected himself swiftly by going through the list of necessary and mandatory questions and requirements per domestic abuse cases. The entire process didn’t even take five minutes to complete, and Gavin sent it off with any information he’d added in note form regarding the state of the apartment, and how Dennis behaved. He added in his own personal observations and points at the bottom, signing it electronically before sending it off.

“There,” he announced randomly while Nines kept watching him. Eerie as it was, Gavin found he didn’t mind it.

Humming while the cat in his lap purred pleasantly, Nines inquired, “Did you file for a search warrant, as well?”

Pausing, Gavin took a moment before he growled, “Oh, for fuck’s sakes…”

“Hmm, bad form.”

Nines had been right. As much as Gavin loathed to admit it, he knew he’d slipped up badly. It didn’t take a genius to piece together that this was more than just a small, simple case of domestic abuse. Something serious and darker lurked behind the scenes, and Gavin _needed_ to go back for another chat and visit with both Dennis and Brendan. Needing to get the two men alone was essential, but he was certain Brendan wouldn’t just let him in out of the kindness of his heart anytime soon. As such, Nines had flagged the situation down and was only trying to go by the most proper steps for a more in-depth investigation.

Feeling slightly inept and stupid because of his minor error, Gavin felt he really had to leave, now. Fresh air-not that he could breathe it in-would do him good…yes, the wonderfully fresh scent of tobacco and mildew that existed in every old apartment building in Detroit…along with cat piss…

Great.

_Well, at least I have the excuse of taking out the garbage and recycling…_

Holding the bags up, Gavin swung them carefully as he announced blandly, “Gonna take these out for a moment, Nines. Wait here…” Cringing, he cursed himself internally for saying something relatively stupid. Where would Nines go to, anyway?? What plans did he have??

Silly.

Though he didn’t seem to pick on it and bicker, Nines only replied, “I’ll be here with your pet, Reed. Take your time.”

Gavin nearly tripped over his feet as he crossed over the threshold of the doorway, but sure enough, as his back was turned to Nines, he heard the android shifting on the sofa. Clearing his throat, he called out to him, “Oh, detective? One more thing…”

Closing his eyes in irritation as he anticipated for an insult or argument to come his way, Gavin only turned around out of politeness and emotional exhaustion mixed together. He was in no mood for Nines’ bullshit and snarky attitude, but if it was what he had to face, then there was no way out of it.

Bracing himself, he sighed, “Yeah?”

Pausing for a moment, only a tiny smile grazed along Nines’ face. He contorted Gavin’s facial muscles to form a friendly, gentle smile Gavin didn’t even think was possible on his own angry visage all the time. He was so used to being moody, aggressive, and pissed off that he didn’t know he was capable of smiling in such a way, and yet Nines had made it possible to happen…

“Thank you for the pizza,” Nines warmly threw out in gratitude. “I really liked it, and I can see why a lot of humans are drawn to that food.” Beaming at him, Nines waved him off to do whatever he needed to do.

Waving auspiciously at him, then, Gavin nearly caught himself blurting out ‘thank you’, but it would be such a dumb thing to say after all. Not to mention, pure awkward. Biting his tongue, he scowled while he flew down the hall and skipped many steps as he headed out through the laundry room and storage rooms joined together. Why had he wanted to extend and show gratitude to Nines, for?? Nines hadn’t said or done anything marvelous and exceptional for him!!

Muttering to himself the entire journey, Gavin breezed past the yellow-green old lights humming and buzzing in the garage and parking lot as he rapidly and briskly walked on. His body moved on autopilot, practically, and his feet guided him along the path leading to the black and green dumpsters for garbage, recycling, and compost bins all separate from each other.

The entire time he paced closer to them, his thirium pump beat and worked faster, almost feeling squeezed as though two large whales had landed on his chest. Though he never felt pain, Gavin could’ve sworn he saw minor warning messages and codes flashing and alerting him to a danger stirring and rising deeply within his system somewhere.

Was this what it felt like for an android to get sick?? To malfunction??

He could hardly even move!!

“The fuck is wrong with me?” Gavin panted out desperately, stopping in his tracks as he heaved the bags of trash and recycling over his shoulder and down into the dumpsters. The resolute echo of the ‘bang’ and ‘thud’ let him know that it was a ‘job well done’ as far as taking out the trash was concerned.

Stuffing his hands deeply into his jean pockets, Gavin had to again verbally ask himself aloud in the middle of the quietus parking lot the same question that had been plaguing him since he escaped his own apartment.

“What the hell is wrong with me?”

Would he ever know??

He’d been wanting to depart and head back to his apartment, when someone briskly answered out for him, “The same thing that’s wrong with you is what’s ailing me, I suppose…”


	7. Last Regrets

Gavin nearly groaned when he looked over a few recycling bins and noticed Dennis standing between one blue bin and a dark van parked behind himself. He offered Gavin a small, friendly smile before waving in a greeting.

“Hey there, Lieutenant.”

Scanning the entire parking lot and laundry room entrance just in case, Gavin felt a little more relaxed and relieved when nothing ominous in the way of Brendan Walker lurking about came through. Somehow, he’d suspected that there was no way it would be possible that the possessive, controlling, domineering man would allow his young partner to be taking a late-night stroll about.

There had to be a catch, here.

Remaining suspicious and removed, Gavin only pushed out between clenched teeth in a tiny warning, “Dennis, it’s better if you head on inside.”

Rolling his eyes, Dennis walked around the bins and leaned over to prop himself almost suggestively against the van behind himself. His hips jutted out to the left, and he merely crossed his well-built arms over his chest. Legs long and lithe, he truly looked like a male model posing against the van.

Feeling slightly pedantic suddenly without much of a cause, Gavin prodded and added his own warnings, hoping to coax Dennis to leave. “Dennis, your partner, err, I mean, your boyfriend, Brendan…he will—”

“He’s with a guy right now,” Dennis admitted with a small sigh of contempt. “I had to leave because of sex; he’s done this before. I’ll go back when they’re done.” When he glanced up at Gavin, the detective couldn’t help but scan him for the possibility of deception. It wasn’t that he didn’t think Dennis was a good kid. He’d just been in his own fair share of messy relationships and affairs, and he knew a thing or two about lying to save his own ass multiple times. 

Without making it obvious, he hurriedly ran a scan of the words and of Dennis’ body.

**Result of deception reading: 0% deceptive response.**

Interesting. At least he was honest, no matter how embarrassing it was.

Feeling as though the level of his trust and respect for Dennis increased marginally, a less flippant Gavin Reed pushed down the lid of the bins as he brushed his hands on his new jeans. Pausing for a moment when he scanned traces of garbage and mold, he let out a groan of putrid disgust with himself for being less than careful with his new clothes.

Snickering, though not entirely in an unfriendly way, Dennis exclaimed, “Don’t worry about it. Trust me, I think you still look good.”

Growling and grumbling, Gavin irritably pointed out, “I don’t think you should be sayin’ that to another guy…especially when you’re with someone for the time being.” Glaring pointedly at Dennis, he hoped this would finally get the message across once and for all.

Almost bitterly, Dennis laughed out, “Brendan doesn’t care. He’s…well…” Frustration swept over him, and he started anew, his words picking up a bit of an odd pace to their delivery. “He’s not a terrible person or jealous all that much, but I wish he would stop doing what he’s doing.” Face turning pink, he stuffed his hands in his pockets while shivering when a light breeze blew in.

Though this wasn’t any of his damn business in the slightest, Gavin was still concerned about Dennis’ safety. To his opinion and knowledge, he found he genuinely cared to see the young man well and looked after, but he didn’t think this Brendan was an excellent choice in a partner for him. Once again, Gavin hated that he was treating this as though Dennis were a younger brother or his own son, but he couldn’t help his paternal feelings from kicking in the longer he studied the younger male. 

Picking his words carefully, he took a step closer to Dennis as he held his head down. “Look, I don’t mean to be an asshole, but I kinda told ya to try and find a nice guy somewhere else.” Almost sarcastically, his face changed and morphed into an expression of displeasure as he added in high amounts of annoyance, “So glad to see that you took my advice.”

Shrugging, Dennis answered, “Brendan’s okay…I just don’t like _some_ of the stuff he does.”

Unable to let it go now that he was already somewhat involved, Gavin asked, “What kind of stuff?”

An odd expression flew over Dennis’ face before supplied softly, “Attacking other guys…”

When Gavin scowled as though already arriving to his own conclusions suspiciously, Dennis clarified, “Sexually, I mean, haha…sorry to be giving you so much info about our private lives, here.”

Disgusted, though for an infinite amount of other reasons, Gavin threw out quickly, “Look, I don’t care what you choose to do and with whom you choose to do it.” Watching Dennis closely, he saw the youth picking at a loose thread in his jeans before shrugging again.

 _Don’t do that,_ Gavin thought internally, _don’t act and pretend like you don’t care when we both know you do._

Continuing, he whispered softly, “You seem like a really nice guy, and sorry for not mindin’ my own damn business, but I just can’t fathom how someone like you ended up with someone like Brendan.” Shaking his head as he finished his sentence off, he again looked up to check around their environment before going back to observing Dennis.

Elegantly, when his bangs slowly fell and draped over his forehead, Dennis reached up with a hand and brushed his loose hair back in place. His lips were tight and pursed, and his body posture had gone rigid and stiff. Gavin didn’t like reading through the signs, but they were all here and screamed out to him that this was a highly sensitive and sore topic for Dennis to hear about and discuss. His blood was no doubt surging forth in his ears and head, and his temples tightened as he bit down hard on the insides of his cheeks.

Softly and gingerly, Gavin rasped, “He…doesn’t hurt you, does he?” Knowing he was begging for a reply at this point, he ignored how stupid and pathetic he came off. As long as Dennis remained silent, he knew there was no way to help, but he didn’t want to also drag out a false confession out of the young man either. If there even was to be a ‘confession’, it had to come naturally and authentically as possible, otherwise, he would be liable for discipline from his superiors for manipulating a victim either way.

So, he remained patiently waiting. Dennis didn’t speak up right away, nor did he seem to feel comfortable in comparison to how he’d appeared when he first approached Gavin. His fingers twitched for a moment, and Gavin could see his veins protruding beneath his skin on his temples.

Finally, as he emitted a long, strained sigh, he glanced down at his feet before moving away from the van. “You know what, Lieutenant Nines?” he chuckled dryly, “you were right…” Approaching Gavin steadily, he raised his right hand, and he plopped it over Gavin’s right shoulder.

Almost leaping back, Gavin could’ve sworn he felt little sparks of electricity channeling and coursing through his system from where Dennis had touched him. Unsure of why his body was reacting in such a way, he only held his ground as he raised both brows.

“Oh?”

Nodding, Dennis coyly purred, “Yeah…you’re right…” Eyes searching Gavin’s, he leaned in as close as possible for dramatic effect before he concluded, “It really _isn’t_ your damn business.” Hs hand tightened over Gavin’s shoulder before very slowly easing off.

Furrowing his brows, Gavin muttered sarcastically, “Ouch.”

Smirking coyly, Dennis moved back, though he kept his eyes on Gavin the entire time. Almost skipping backwards like a young child, he finally stood by the laundry room door as he paused in his steps. Flirtatiously, he winked at Gavin before giggling out, “Have a good night, Lieutenant.” Opening the door, he ran inside, but before it swung shut after himself, he took another peek over at Gavin.

Baffled by the younger man’s actions, Gavin was left feeling stranger than ever. The arcane, obscure situation and feelings hit him at once, and Gavin nearly crashed to his feet. Although he was trapped within an android’s powerful, unbreakable body, at heart, he knew he was still _human._ Humans weren’t indestructible like androids, and he hated to admit, but humans were flawed, and deeply susceptible to corruption.

When the overheard lights of the apartment parking lot flickered once, as though to warn him of his own odd, importunate thoughts, Gavin argumentatively shot out in a snarky way, “Okay, okay, whatever the actual fuck is going on is more than likely _my_ fucked up imagination!!”

He needed to flee before something crazy happened, and before he started thinking of strange things. Already, he was feeling inexplicably…messed up. Perhaps it was time to call it a night.

Gavin hardly was able to take a step before one of the lights in the parking lot died out.

**^^**

By the following morning, Gavin’s mind was made up; one way or another, he _was_ going to make sure Nines learned how to fucking shave his face. Not one for facial hair, especially considering how he’d caught traces of a few silvery wisps last time he’d shaved himself, Gavin kicked open the bathroom door just as Nines was caught bending over the sink, underwear sliding down his ass…well, Gavin’s ass, technically.

“Ugh!” Gavin cried out in putrid nausea, “Dude! Plumber crack warning! Jesus Christ!!” Holding an arm up to shield his face, he pushed Nines away from the sink in a less than gentle way.

Throwing him a hugely execrable glare, Nines whimpered, “Sorry…I just…” Scratching at his skin, he dully commented with a sigh, “I’m itchy. I want this facial stubble off.”

Ah. So _that’s_ what Nines had been trying to do before he busted in on him. Truthfully, Gavin could’ve gathered that on his own when he first stormed into the tiny bathroom, but at least he hadn’t walked in on Nines doing something else…

Sarcastically, Gavin retorted, “Well now! Why don’t we just bust out the waxing kit my grandfather gave me when I lost my virginity!” Malice pooling and flooding the room and his voice, he added on with a contemptible shriek, “As a bonus, tell ya what, I’ll even paint your nails too!” Gavin knew he was taking it too far yet again, but he was losing patience with Nines way too quickly. The android had lately turned into such a feeble thing that needed attention all the time…how like a damn child.

 _Well, I guess this is why I never got around to havin’ kids of my own,_ Gavin mused in his mind, but grabbed a razor that was clean and dry off a shower shelf in the standing stall next to the toilet and sink.

A small look of trepidation and regret crossed over Nines’ features, but he didn’t put up a fight when Gavin gripped his chin, bent him over the sink, and began applying water and some kind of facial lather to his skin. Observing him was the only thing Nines chose to do, and he did so in silence while Gavin muttered and mumbled grumpily to himself. The temperature of the water was a little cold, but Nines was in no mood to fuss about it and set Gavin’s temper off. That red LED light warned him plenty not to toy with Gavin for the time being.

Gavin hurried along, his hands well-practiced and knowing what to do. Over and over, his hands rubbed and pressed the soapy lather over Nines’ chin, cheeks, and across his jawline. Nines was mesmerized, unable to tear his eyes off Gavin’s hands.

Shutting off the faucet, Gavin presented the razor, holding it up before Nines as he announced, “It may feel a bit weird for a sec, but try not to make any sudden movements till I’m done, okay?”

Nines nodded, “Okay.”

Getting to work, Gavin moved the razor from top to bottom, almost like an artist moving a paintbrush up and down along a smooth canvas. Nines liked to think he was a canvas, and that the stubble and lather had been Gavin’s world of creative art. In a sense, that was what Gavin was doing, Nines supposed; he was being extra cautious not to cut him.

Scrape, scrape, scratch, scratch…

The sensation almost felt _too good_ , Nines felt. It was almost like a gentle butterfly or caterpillar gliding and crawling across his skin. He had never sensed or experienced anything like it, and he found he didn’t mind it as long as Gavin’s touch remained tender and gentle. Perhaps Gavin was handling him with too much care, however; he wouldn’t really even say anything as he gently pushed Nines’ face with his knuckles or sometimes would reposition and readjust his angles entirely by grabbing his chin and pushing it in the direction he wanted Nines to face. They didn’t even really need to communicate for a long time; they just somehow knew what to do. Almost as though something innate had been built and programmed into Nines, he remained as still as he could while Gavin dipped and dabbed the razor against the sink whenever it was too full of stubble and facial hair. Once it was washed down the drain swiftly, he returned to his work and diligently began shaving the area around Nines’ chin.

It was precisely at this moment where a problem rose. Gavin tried being as gentle as he could, and Nines was enjoying the sensations of the razor gently scratching and gliding along his chin far too much. While Gavin aimed to be tender and cautious around the more sensitive areas, Nines leaned and tilted his head further into Gavin’s touch. Not at all realizing his weight bearing down on the razor, Nines fell ahead slightly, and even though it had been just a tiny bit of added pressure to the small razor, it was enough to cause an accident. Gavin sensed what was going to happen ahead of time, and he tried growling out a warning to Nines.

“Oy, watch it, dummy!!”

Due to how thickly and loudly he’d growled it out, it turned out to be his undoing as well as Nines’ undoing. The abrasiveness of Gavin’s voice slamming into Nines’ ears all at once frightened the android, and he leapt forward in fear. Gavin’s hand slipped clumsily, and he cut deeply from Nines’ jawline down past the left side of his chin. It wasn’t a deep gash, but it was deep enough to cause profuse bleeding.

Wailing in a fit of terror and pain, Nines cradled the area of injury as he stepped back. Eyes wide with terror, he spun around and gazed into the mirror before emitting a dull shriek. “You!! You d-did this on purpose!!” His accusation felt like a baseball bat bashed over the back of Gavin’s skull.

Seething and fuming, Gavin turned on the water, watching as the ruby droplets of fresh blood dripped and pooled down below. Once they joined the clear water, they turned pink…pink as flesh…

Disgusted, Gavin roughly smacked Nines in the lower back while the android fumbled to wash away the blood and take care of his wounds. “You total nitwit!!” Gavin barked out at the height of his anger, “Why would I do such a damn thing to my _own_ face?!?!” He couldn’t believe the accusations Nines was whispering about how he found this amusing, charming, and pleasurable.

“Hurry!!” Shoving Nines’ face near the water, Gavin frantically washed out the wound. Nines hissed in pain, and as Gavin tugged open the medicine cabinet, he threw Nines a foul, dapocaginous sneer. “Have fun with how much this is gonna burn, since you’re such a baby when it comes to pain tolerance and all.”

“What??”

Not at all paying attention to Nines’ confusion, Gavin held a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, opened the cap, and poured it over the gash. At once, Nines screamed a bloodcurdling scream as though someone was slaughtering him. It didn’t do much for Gavin’s amusement to become decrescent; if anything, he chuckled as he ducked down to his first aid kit and retrieved gauze and band aids.

Fanning his hands around his face to quench and quell the burning sensation blasting over his chin, Nines tore out hoarsely, “THIS FUCKING HURTS LIKE A MOTHERFUCK!!!”

Gavin was on cloud nine high in the heavens as he capitulated to rounds of laughter at Nines’ expense and loads of discomfort. “Woooow,” he squeezed out as he held the gauze over the wound as best as he could while Nines bounced around and wept. “Dude, I’ve seen you take a punch to the face, I’ve seen someone shoot you, and I myself have thrown you through a door, yet you’re whining and crying like a damn brat because of a little cut? Priceless…”

That, _and_ Nines had cussed…brilliant. They’d accomplished so very much in such a short span of time.

Throwing his head back when Gavin ripped open the band aid and pressed it over the gauze to hold it firmly in place atop the wound, Nines snapped mordantly, “THIS IS THE WORST FUCKING PAIN EVER!! WHAT THE FUCK?!? HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO HANDLE THIS SHIT?!? FOR HOW MUCH LONGER?!?!”

Calmly, Gavin shrugged an insouciant shrug as he snickered, “Welcome to my world, enjoy your stay.”

He was surprised when Nines gathered all his strength to heave him out of the bathroom and slam the door behind him. Once tossed out unceremoniously, Gavin ran a hand through his hair as he grunted out to himself, “Jeez, what the hell’s _his_ problem??”

On the other side of the door, he heard the sound of running water again before Nines belted out strongly, “THIS WAS THE FIRST AND LAST TIME I SHAVED! FUCK THIS!!”

Inching up to the door, Gavin wasn’t quite done yet. Since Nines had been so rude and callous to chuck him out of his _own_ damn bathroom, he had one more trick up his sleeve. Knocking on the door to grab Nines’ attention, he called out in a neutral way, “Wait! There’s one more thing you forgot, Nines!!”

“NO! I don’t want to!!”

“I swear it’ll help ya!” Gavin lied through his teeth, grinning like a mad hatter on the other side of the door. When Nines hadn’t argued back, Gavin pleaded, “Come on, man! There’s a little bottle next to the hot water faucet. Open it up and apply it to the areas you weren’t injured! It’ll help soothe the skin!!”

Nines wasn’t moving.

Clamping a hand down over his mouth while he could picture it all right now, Gavin waited patiently until he heard Nines shifting his weight around. Patience was always key, here, and he knew that the android’s innocence would soon reward him with a heck of a lot of much needed entertainment.

Sadistic shit.

Stammering timorously, Nines hissed out, “O-okay, got it…d-do I just—”

“Massage it in _reeeeaaal_ good,” Gavin ordered, unable to stop grinning the entire time his imagination and scan provided him with a good enough reading and view of Nines standing at the mirror with the deadly aftershave slowly rubbing onto his skin.

_Any time now, any time…_

….

“…REEEEEEEEEEEED!!!! WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK?!?!” Nines flew around the bathroom in a fit of rage and sheer pain, bashing and slamming into cupboards, the shower stall, the walls, the toilet, everything.

_Bingo._

Drawing away from the door, Gavin skipped away as he sang out cheerfully over his shoulder high in the air, “Enjoy the aftershave, asshole.”

**^^**

They weren’t on speaking terms from that point on, but that had been precisely the point and underlying premise of Gavin’s plans and actions in the first place. Nothing dissuaded him from being a total dick to Nines any chance he could. For the next day, he bullied Nines by nitpicking whatever he did, ate, or wanted to do to pass time. Gavin commented that Nines was eating too much junk food, was wasting his body away by staying in bed for half the time, he threw out rudely that he was making him fat, and he was looking shabbier.

Of course, none of these things were true; Gavin just _loved_ watching Nines squirm. The more he pestered Nines, the less he spoke with Gavin, and eventually, both men went about their own affairs. Gavin still made sure to report whatever progress he’d made on the Walker case with Captain Fowler, but as time wore on, their superior seemed to sink into a state of absolute deliration.

Something was wrong with the Walker case, and both Gavin and Nines knew it. All the signals were there, namely originating from Captain Fowler himself. Usually, their boss was rather forthcoming and ‘vocal’ about what they were failing in doing, what they were drawing short on, and he was quite bombastic with his insults all the time. On the other end of it, if they pleased him well enough, he would commend them for it and applaud them just as boisterously. It was all par the course as to how Fowler behaved, but strangely, as far as this new case had developed, their superior remained ‘hush hush’ and awfully silent about the entire ordeal.

It was enough to send small warning bells off in Nines’ and Gavin’s mind, and it was ironically the very same thing that both drew them apart from one another, yet brought them closer, as well. Without the case in their way, they weren’t left with anything to communicate or fight over. That’d been the determining factor for their silence with one another, as well as Nines’ anger towards Gavin. The detective knew for certain that the android didn’t trust him, especially after all the crazy stunts he’d been pulling. Now, while they were both left with trying to obtain more information about the Walker case, they both resorted to their pessimism while they sat around anticipating cataclysmic failure and doom to crash down upon them.

But this line of thinking was toxic and poisonous…nothing productive came from it, and Gavin knew that time was running short. Fowler wasn’t going to be so generous with details and intricacies of the case, which meant that it wasn’t as he’d initially labeled and deemed as ‘open and shut’.

This was something complicated and ran deeper.

Nines sat in the farthest corner of the kitchen, a dark sweater on his upper torso. He’d recently showered, and with his hair dripping wet, he pulled the hood of the sweater over his skull and hid beneath its shadows. His eyes were cast down in his lap, a cup of coffee rested on a small saucer in front of him, and a lit cigarette was tightly held between his middle and index fingers. Appearing to be dazed and beyond exhausted, his eyes turned glassy looking when Gavin strolled in and just stared at him.

How much longer was this charade of ‘cold shoulder’ going to extend for?? To what extent? They were losing time, value, and incentive. Plus, there was no telling what Brendan and Dennis were up to, and more anything, Gavin wanted to gain Nines’ perspective and insight. Odd, how he’d rejected the android’s didactic words and wisdom before, and yet now, he was craving them like crack.

 _Perhaps the tables HAVE turned indeed, huh Nines?_ Though he was bitter, himself, Gavin joined Nines at the table while keeping his eyes focused on the shelves and cupboards looming behind in the kitchen.

No one said a word, but that was expected. Given all that he’d done to Nines, Gavin knew the sour android wasn’t exactly leaping at the prospect to talk and be ‘friendly’…or civilized, it seemed. The moment Gavin even sat at the table, his physical presence was enough to render Nines livid. The android showed his irritation by yanking his coffee cup closer, glaring madly at it like he possessed the ability to burn holes into it.

Nines’ visage portrayed a most angry Gavin Reed, physically. The more Gavin studied the android stuck in his own body, the more he found that it seemed as though he was only looking at himself from the other side of a looking glass. Eyeing how Nines’ eyebrows furrowed thickly, how his nostrils flared, how his eyes turned beady and squinty reminded Gavin all too well of himself at the height of his heated temper.

 _What kind of weird sorcery is this??_ Gavin had to pause and wonder to himself. _He’s behaving exactly like I would…it’s too creepy!! I never taught him that shit!!_

A thought suddenly bloomed large in Gavin’s mind like a tiny scratch he needed to itch as it begged for and demanded attention.

_Perhaps he’s observed me for so long that he just KNOWS how I act by heart…_

Somehow, that thought terrified him; the thought that Nines could’ve been keeping a close eye on him. Shivering and shrugging out of that bizarre thought, Gavin pushed through the quietus situation and instead re-shifted his focus. 

Clasping his hands in his lap, he didn’t notice how poised and serene he appeared…much like how Nines used to pause and sit while observing everyone in the hustle and bustle of the DPD during its more hectic hours.

Clearing his throat, he then swallowed his pride as he exclaimed, “Fowler’s not really said much about the Walker case.” It was a random, pointed statement that said many things at once without Gavin really needing to go into details.

When Nines glanced up and barely made eye contact, a more relieved Gavin knew he’d listened, retained the information, but also agreed to some level.

Weakly, Nines blinked and inhaled deeply before he tilted his head to the right, leaning it into his open palm. Eyes snapping shut, he shrugged as he supplied calmly, “There’s more to this case than mere domestic assault. You should know that after speaking to the younger man.”

“I do,” Gavin answered knowingly. “I suspect a lot, and I feel like we’re not just chasing after an abusive monster.” Tension about the case brewed and surged back and forth, looming over their heads like the dark clouds gathering outside in the expansive sky.

The sun had retreated behind the clouds, and sporadic flashes of lightning and thunder resonated mere moments later in odd, bizarre patterns and rhythms. Grumbling and growling akin to a large, deadly giant echoed outside the open window, and a strong gust of wind blew a few of the magazines and pens around Gavin’s kitchen counter.

What a mood…what a day.

When he’d taken more than enough time to perhaps pause for dramatic flair, Nines roughly spewed forth, “Well, you know Captain Fowler; he’s quiet for a reason, and I suspect that reason is because he doesn’t want us both to know what this is really all about.”

Quickly, Gavin threw out, “But why would he do that?” Accurately, he commented, “He’s never really done this, so why now?”

“Think about it for a moment, Reed,” Nines began, slightly irritated, as though being pestered more than what he could tolerate by a child. “If we walked into this already knowing and anticipating what the true nature of the issue or problem was, then we’d unconsciously display or present that.” Leaving an arm extended, his brows rose, as if silently communicating: ‘Get my meaning, now?’

Slightly miffed, Gavin snorted, “That’s weird. I mean, I get it, but it’s fuckin’ weird.”

It certainly was a cause for concern. This case had to have been marked or set off as ‘high priority’, otherwise, it just wouldn’t make sense for Captain Fowler to have them rush into it with their minds and ideas blank as a slate. If they knew beforehand what to expect, they no doubt would’ve alerted both younger men and made them flee and close up, perhaps.

As if reading through his thoughts, Nines summarized succinctly, “One of these men is a lot wiser than we’re giving him credit for.” Eyes shifting outside the window for a moment, he sighed almost sadly as he listened to the wind howling like a monster in pain. “Be careful with this case, Reed,” Nines warned, steeling himself to find more than met the eye as he concluded swiftly, “The less you know for now, the better it is.”

Thunder this time banged across the sky almost hauntingly, and the rain followed. It pelted down almost like heavy bullets blasting down on roof tops of buildings, cars, over murky, tinted windows, beating down on leaves and branches, and spraying into Gavin’s face.

Angrily, he brushed and wiped his skin off before standing to his feet and sliding the window shut. Once seated, he gruffly inquired, “What do you think we should do?”

As though shocked by the fact that Gavin had turned to him for help and advice, Nines remained petrified and solidified for a moment. Not even blinking or moving an inch, he somehow managed to wheeze past pursed lips, “We, Detective??” Enunciating harshly, he repeated, “We?? I think you should make your own decisions, seeing as how you already went ahead and familiarized yourself with the case and fraternized with the people involved, don’t you think?”

This sounded a tad confrontational. Throwing Nines a cruel, mutinous glare, Gavin seethed as he snapped, “Last time I checked, we were _partners_ in this.” Viciously, he added, “Or has your memory already turned to shit?”

Tapping on his temple, Nines smoothly commented, “My memory isn’t the problem here, Reed; you need to figure this out for yourself.”

Gesturing in confusion, Gavin cried out, “Wh-what the hell? Can’t you give me more than a hint??! Something a _little_ less cryptic?!” Already, he swore he was getting a headache from the amount of ‘mystery’ Nines was putting up rather than just helping him like a colleague was supposed to do.

 _Figures,_ Gavin hissed internally, _fucker loves makin’ my life a living hell and will do it any chance he gets._

Appearing relatively bored, Nines wearily supplied, “Record every interaction from now on, Reed.” Smirking confidently, he stated, “It’s what I would do anytime I was suspicious, and now, you shall too.”

“Fine,” Gavin snapped, pushing his chair back to scrape over the floor rougher than he’d intended. Standing to Nines’ full height, he could practically see the android’s red LED light glowing dangerously in the reflection of the window. The storm outside raged on and on, the wind growing harsher, louder, and more violent by the minute.

Still, it was no match at all for how badly Gavin felt the war and storms between his thoughts and feelings conflicted. He didn’t like the circumstance he’d already been thrown into with Nines, and now, with the oddness and mysterious nature of the Walker case pending, he only felt deeply in his gut that things were about to get worse from here on.

Gavin hoped he was going to be proven wrong, for once.

**^^**

Was texting Dennis allowed? Would this be seen as inappropriate? Or would it be regarded as a unique-yet unorthodox-form of gathering intel?

Gavin truthfully didn’t know, but he knew that the very next day, he caught a text message from Dennis. Thinking he was seeing things, Gavin fumbled for his phone, and while Nines sulked around the apartment, Gavin sequestered himself to his room. It wasn’t necessarily a _bad_ thing to do; it’d been raining nonstop for the last few hours, and from what his system’s incoming weather reports told him, it was predicted to rain for the next week like this.

Why not stay in bed all damn day?

It suited him just fine, but he still had other urgent matters to attend to. Namely, he wanted to find out how Dennis got his number in the first place. He’d never given it out, he’d forgotten to provide it for Brendan and Dennis upon visiting them (oops), and he hadn’t been a moron to leave it on Fowler’s mockery of a Grindr profile!!

Glancing down at the phone in his hands while he stretched himself out on the bed, cleverly, he’d changed his own contact name to ‘Nines’, just as a means of covering his tracks before sending even a single letter out to Dennis. Leaning against a pillow positioned behind his back, his eyebrows shot up as he texted out to Dennis: **how the fuck did u get my #?**

Imagination swirling with gruesome, disturbing thoughts, Gavin had to muster the courage to stop them all. Putting them on hold was the wiser thing to do; not resort to paranoia and causing his own daymares.

Dennis took his time to respond, but sure enough, he answered: **Brendan actually was responsible for that one. Lol.**

… “Okay, _now_ I’m freakin’ out,” Gavin whispered to himself. The message from Dennis could’ve implied anything. It could’ve meant that Brendan was stalking him, Brendan had talked to his landlord, or perhaps he—

On cue, Dennis sent: **Brendan called the DPD after you left just to check out if you were really a Lieutenant. He spoke with your Captain, and he passed along that information! Don’t worry.**

 _Well, I AM worried,_ Gavin thought to himself when he heard Nines moving around outside the door, possibly heading to the washroom. Only when he heard a door slamming shut tightly did he continue his chat with Dennis.

Cursing himself for overthinking such a simple matter, Gavin reminded himself to stay calm while he reluctantly added Dennis as a contact-just for the time being, and just for the sake of obtaining information for the case.

Unsure of where to take the conversation, and not at all wanting to be the one constantly texting, he lowered his phone as he resorted to staring out the window across the parking lot of the apartment complex instead. An old daycare and an abandoned playground set to be demolished by the end of the summer season stood facing him. A few of the old, rusted swings moved about dangerously high in the wind. The tire swing looped around a long, thick branch of a tree blew about strongly, and a few seesaws and tiny horse carousals danced in time with the breeze. Things screeched, squeaked, and groaned, and it made Gavin feel even more off about the day. It didn’t help that he was getting a bit too close to a stranger involved in an enigmatic case for that matter, either.

The phone vibrated again after nearly ten minutes of silence. Gavin read through the message a few times before feeling sicker than usual.

**Dennis, 12:39 p.m.  
u ok? u went quiet lol **

Groaning to himself, he tried remaining as ‘detached’ in his replies as possible, especially considering how he knew that at the end of it all, Captain Fowler would no doubt be accessing them and reading through them.

**Nines, 12:42 p.m.  
im fine. worry about urself.**

Almost instantly, Dennis’ reply came.

**Dennis, 12:42 p.m.  
why? **

_Do I REALLY need to tell you this?!?!_ Steaming and stewing already, Gavin put a lot of sarcasm and vitriol behind his next message sent out.

**Nines, 12:45 p.m.  
dude, ur still in a relationship, remember? focus on that and be happy.**

**Dennis, 12:47  
im not happy and we both know it. **

Thunder growled in the distance, and Gavin whispered, “Well, that’s truth right there.” Stymied and bewildered as he was, he didn’t know whether or not Dennis was alone and in a safe place to comment. Technically, he wasn’t even sure if he was allowed to be having this type of a conversation. Logic told him that it was more professional to guide and suggest to Dennis-or any other victim-of services the community provided that would help put them back on a better track.

Deciding to go along with that, Gavin ignored the fact that he knew it would sound a bit cold and callous to act like an android and just blurt out facts, but he had no other choice.

**Nines, 12:56 p.m.  
a lot of avenues for help r out there, u no. counselling, therapy, social workers. if ur not happy, just leave him.**

Cringing at the last part, he leaned back and nearly bit a fingernail, eyes glued to the bright screen doggedly until Dennis’ reply came through.

**Dennis, 12:58 p.m.  
Brendan’s okay. Selling him out isn’t right with me.**

Pausing, Gavin noticed something rather peculiar hit him at once. Though Dennis was still texting, the word ‘Brendan’ and ‘selling’ happened to be changed. Those two words were in lighter colored font, and he had no idea why Dennis chose to do that.

Perhaps it was just a phone malfunction or something?

_Maybe…_

The phone buzzed loudly, beckoning Gavin’s attention and eyes.

**Dennis, 1:03 p.m.  
Like drugs, love is addictive. Drugs kill, but my drug is different. Unstable as it is, it’s all I have.**

Frowning in deeper states of confusion, Gavin made sure to note that again, certain words at the beginning of sentences were lighter in font color.

**Nines, 1:04 p.m.  
guess so, but u were on grindr, dude.**

**Dennis, 1:06 p.m.  
so?**

**Nines, 1:06 p.m.  
so if u were fine with Brendan, u wouldnt need to shop around for other dudes. **

Cursing himself yet again for acting like a relationship counselor, Gavin had to yank his hair as he reminded himself to watch his words and limit what he said to Dennis. This was a young, impressionable kid, still!! He had no business and no right to weasel his way into his affairs, and right now, he knew he could get fired from here until tomorrow for sending half the things he had to Dennis.

But the buzzing and the replies sent through were too, _too_ tempting, and now that Gavin was involved, he wanted to see how it would all come along and develop…

**Dennis, 1:08 p.m.  
u were there too! Mentally, i cant be the only guilty 1. Insane man !**

**Nines, 1:09 p.m.  
not the point. Grindr isnt the best place to pick a guy, even if ur into the whole open relationship thing. its dangerous.**

Sadly, as well-intended as his words had been meant, it seemed to have the opposite effect on a carefree Dennis.

**Dennis, 1:10 p.m.  
help someone who needs it and asks. Im fine. im a big boy, incase you havent seen yet, Lieutenant Nines ;- )**

Grinding his teeth in sheer frustration, Gavin wasn’t too upset to notice again that while the fonts had changed, the styles had as well at the beginning of the sentences.

**Nines, 1:13 p.m.  
dont flatter urself. Im not like that. **

At once, he knew he never should’ve sent that when he read Dennis’ message, as shameless as it was.

**Dennis, 1:15 p.m.  
meeee? come on. i may look, but i dont touch until im interested, and thats why i was on grindr, Lieutenant. **

**Nines, 1:17 p.m.  
i figured. look, its dangerous with the online dating. delete ur profile, and if u need to get way from Brendan, then do it!**

As such, that only did well to enable Dennis to be quite bold and forward with his response.

**Dennis, 1:19 p.m.  
oh? then r u gonna somehow find me a nice guy, Lieutenant Nines?? or maybe, did u consider that the reason y u want me away from Brendan is cuz u want me all 4 urself?**

Gavin nearly smashed his phone right away. This had gone on for too long. It was all his fault, and he knew it. On his own, Dennis likely would’ve never flirted or responded in such a brazen way. He was only doing so because Gavin had foolishly made the error of digging into his personal, private life and poking around in issues and matters that didn’t concern him. What else had he been expecting?? Anyone else would’ve likely told him to go fuck himself too, yet Dennis had handled it in another way.

Almost remorsefully, he punched and then pinched himself in the left thigh for his errant ways and stupidity taken into talking to Dennis and allowing the conversation to steer this way.

**Nines, 1:21 p.m.  
thats inappropriate. none of that is true, so stop. **

Squirming in discomfort, Gavin made sure to keep the conversation, but he was feeling far too tempted to delete his segments. This wasn’t exactly making him look too favorable and ‘good’, but at least he’d exercised some levels of caution and professionalism by warning Dennis and requesting him to cease and desist.

_I still feel weird, though…_

**Dennis, 1:24 p.m.  
spoilsport. whatev. i gtg anyway, making lunch. **

It was just the perfect break Gavin needed, and he felt relieved for the opportune moment landing on his lap.

**Nines, 1:25 p.m.  
k. ttyl, but call or text if u need**

**Dennis, 1:25 p.m.  
talk soon, Lieutenant ;- ) **

After Dennis quit texting him, Gavin just sat there on his bed, stretched out while gazing intently at the phone. It shut off due to battery saving settings, but he still hadn’t stirred. The world went on by Gavin Reed, the wind blowing almost violently and rattling the windows and doors. The clouds moved rapidly in the horizon, the sky toned by shades of grey, green, blue and off-white due to the storm. Birds flew and scattered about seeking immediate shelter and canopy from the thick, heavy raindrops, and puddles grew deeper and larger in potholes in the roads and streets.

He still hadn’t moved; nothing could rouse him, not even Nines prying open the bedroom door ajar and peeking in cautiously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!!!! :D


	8. The Lust Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING-SEXUALLY EXPLICIT SHIT*

Nines wasn’t able to sleep well at all that night. Tossing and turning heavily, anytime he moved, the sheets around his body crinkled and hissed nosily. The sounds rattled all the way into Gavin’s audio receptors, channeling back and forth from the back of his head to the front. It did well to increase and bolster his mounting frustration and short temper. In no time at all, he was pissed, and when he was that pissed, he was ready to tear down the world.

Storming over into the bedroom in less than a few hurried steps when Nines tossed about once more like the massive annoyance he was, Gavin flung open the door and turned on the lights out of habit. He knew he could’ve switched over to ‘night mode’, but in his vicious anger, he couldn’t see much else, including relying on insight.

Nines hissed as he shielded his eyes and reared up in bed. “REED!” he barked out in shock, “the hell’s wrong with you??!” Sweating profusely, his shirt was damp in many areas, causing it to cling to his muscles and frame.

“Me?!” Gavin protested in exhaustion, “I should ask _you_ that! Makin’ all the noise in the fuckin’ world!” As though to compliment him and add dynamic flair to his point, thunder growled deeply and powerfully outside, shaking the foundations of the building to its core.

Scowling minaciously, Nines shouted for all he was worth, “Leave me alone!! I need to sleep!!” As he flopped back beneath the sheets, Gavin noticed his disheveled state, his tousled hair, his puffy cheeks, his red, feverish skin.

Suspicion and concern hit him simultaneously, and the need to take care of his human body was his main goal. Concentrating on scanning Nines from head to toe, Gavin silently worked, noticing that nothing major stuck out from his head down to his stomach. No gastrointestinal issues, no heartburn, no headaches, no dizziness, no nausea, no fever, nothing.

Then what was the main issue, here?

Stepping closer to the bed, desiderium not to panic overtook him, and Gavin peered down at Nines. His legs were clamped together tightly, the thigh muscles squeezing as though holding something back? Did he need to urinate?

Rolling his eyes as he wondered whether this was the main issue or not, Gavin suggested in a vilifying manner, “Dude, if you gotta take a damn piss, just go.” Tilting his head down at Nines’ pathetic state, he elucidated rudely, “Or did you need me to follow you in and hold it for you, again?”

“Shut up!” Nines clipped out in rage, leaning up and glaring at him heatedly. The look he threw Gavin did well to fend off the frazzled detective, but only momentarily.

Stunned, Gavin resumed his scan, and as his eyes trailed down lower between Nines’ legs, he nearly burst in both laughter, but also terror.

_For fuck’s sake, he’s having a boner. Lovely. Juuuuuuuuust my fuckin’ night._

Approaching the side of the bed next to Nines’ turned back, Gavin cautioned, “Nines, I know what’s goin’ on.”

“You do?” Nines’ face appeared derayed and supremely broken. Groaning as he turned about to face Gavin, he whined, “I think it’s…something’s wrong, down there, Reed…I’m sorry to give you bad news…”

Gavin couldn’t help but grin like a starving predator. The fact that Nines was so innocent about what was happening to the human torso he was stuck in was both cute, but also desipient to the highest order.

_Poor bastard. Let me poke some fun at him just because I CAN._

Pressing a kneecap into the mattress, Gavin dipped his weight forward, and he stared over at Nines. The android was shivering in anticipation as he wound the blankets and bed sheets tightly around himself. He as cocooning himself within them, though not from cold temperatures. But what was he anticipating and waiting for?

When Gavin gently pulled the sheet away, Nines grasped it tighter as he screamed, “Go away! I’ll d-deal with it!”

With a small roar, Gavin tore the sheet away from him as he shouted back, “You dumbass, do you even know what to do?”

Internally, as he answered ‘no’, Nines audibly whispered, “No.”

_Exactly._

Studying him carefully, Gavin taunted verbally and vocally, “This is how it goes, Nines! Get used to it.” Almost humming in amusement, he clarified, “I get a loooot of nightly erections, wet dreams, and morning wood. Make friends with your right hand; it’ll help ya.”

Shivering violently, Nines nearly choked as he cried, “P-please stop t-talking for now and just help me!!”

This stunned Gavin like being struck by a bolt of powerful lightning. Nines had again pulled him out of a comfortable state of being a bully, rendering him in feeling just as awkward and uncomfortable about this ordeal as ever. Was this a natural talent for the RK900 as of late??

LED light erratically yellow and red, Gavin coughed out weakly, “Y-you should know what to do…you’re a guy, right?” When lightning flashed dangerously as though warning him to watch his next words, he paused before he specified tersely, “Like…you g-get what to do? No?”

Sitting up, Nines adjusted the pillow, laying it flatly beneath his head before rolling away and offering his back to Gavin. Crossing his arms down between his lap, he only hissed ferociously, “Oh, fuck off, Reed. If you’re just going to be here and poke fun at me, then you can get the hell out of the damn room already!!”

“Do you have _any_ idea how damn retarded and gross this is?” Gavin inquired as he nastily turned away from Nines and just sat on the bed next to him. Peeking down between his own legs, his thoughts and feelings became cluttered as he wondered why he himself hadn’t yet felt anything stirring or responding whenever he thought about and fantasized about women.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t. Gavin was a highly sexual man, and it didn’t matter to him whether he was an android for now. He constantly thought about sex, and with that, whenever he was bored and had extra time on his hands, he recollected and reminisced about all the times he’d had sex, and for a while, it soothed the tension and frustration he felt whenever Nines nagged at him or whenever the case pestered him long enough where he wanted to stop thinking about it.

But would it be enough forever?? How long was he going to be an android, anyway? Gavin Reed missed being with women, and he yearned for nothing other than to sink into a lovely-smelling woman’s arms and into her bed…

The tremors and vibrations emanating from Nines’ side of the bed soon roused him back to the present matter at his hands. Glancing once at the android’s back, Gavin groused, “I’m not helpin’ you. Tough shit.”

Groaning, Nines whined petulantly, “But it’s _y-your_ own body!”

“So?!”

Nines slowly drawled while trembling, “I’m s-sure you would do it constantly when you were human.”

Reading and interpreting that in the worst of ways, Gavin shot out, “Fuck you. I got laid _all_ the time before this shit happened.” He didn’t know what the hell he was trying to prove to Nines, or why. What did it matter what Nines thought of his sexual prowess? It wasn’t like it would affect his life and longevity, nor would it aid in the situation!

Pettiness?

Not at all affected by what he’d blurted out, Nines bemoaned weakly, “I don’t need to h-hear about your sexual proclivities and practices, Reed! I just need you to show me how to do this!!”

This was getting worse by the minute, and Gavin aimed to put an abrupt end to it before things got weirder and weirder.

Thickly, he warned, “Dude, I’m _not_ doin’ jack shit for you. I get that it’s my body and all, but you’re still in it, and that would mean I’m givin’ _you_ sex help.”

God, it even sounded wrong just talking about it…

Spreading his legs, Nines rolled onto his back as he pleaded, “I’ll explode! Pease just—”

Leaping to action, Gavin grabbed Nines but his shoulders and vehemently shoved him so that his back was again turned to himself. “Dude, what the fuck did I just say?” He all but screamed impatiently, “Go the fuck to sleep and stop talkin’ about it!”

Throwing the blankets and sheets aside, Nines yelled hoarsely, “Do something! I can’t sleep like this! What the hell?! How much do you want me to suffer, here?!”

Fuming, Gavin snapped mordantly, “Stop bein’ a drama queen; I never said I wanted you to suffer. Chill out.”

“I can’t ‘chill out’!” Nines roared potently, “I need help! Just touch it or tell me how to!!”

Feeling decadence choking and smothering him beyond belief, Gavin admonished aggressively while holding an arm over Nines’ back to keep him down to the bed. “This is weird, Nines. Yeah, _technically_ , it’s my own d-dick, but Jesus Christ, it’d be your hands touchin’ it, and if I want to stay out of therapy for the next little while, I can’t be doin’ this.” Inching back, he made sure to scoot away from the overheated Nines while maintaining a serious scowl on his visage, as though to warn the miserable android and keep him at bay.

Shaking his head forlornly, Nines argued softly, “Just once…you don’t even need to—”

“Fuck you, fuck off, get fucked, fucking kiss my fucking ass!”

The onslaught of curse words didn’t dissuade Nines at all. Though he ensured his back remained turned, he hissed between clenched teeth, “Reed, you don’t need to look; just pretend it’s yourself and we’ll be done with it and never speak of it again!!”

_You make it sound so easy!_

Whining and fussing childishly, Gavin was unable to come up with an insult or word strong enough to discourage Nines from this. It seemed like once Nines had an idea or thought in his mind, one way or another, he was going to see it through. No one could argue against it, and Gavin was too exhausted mentally and emotionally to keep on battling.

Shoulders caving in, he rasped in defeat, “Fuckin’ fine. I’ll do it for you, but you have to hurry the fuck up, you _can’t_ enjoy it, you _can’t_ ask for more, you _don’t_ talk about it, _EVER_ , and if you even _think_ about touching me or looking at me, I’ll drive my fist right through your face!” Pausing, he corrected swiftly, “Err, my face! Whatever! I’ll beat your-err-my ass up, Nines!!”

Holding onto his pillow, Nines spat, “Okay, okay, okay!! I got it!!!” Firmly, he promised, “I’m not even moving, so do whatever it is you do, and this will be forgotten!”

_Right…still not easy to do this…dear God…_

Panicked already even though nothing had happened, Gavin took his time as he moved closer to Nines an inch an hour, practically. The world had slowed down drastically, and it was both his undoing and a gift. The longer he spread this out, the worse it would get. He should’ve just hurried along to get it out of the way.

One step at a time, though. If he moved too quickly, he was sure his thirium pump would burst.

When he turned to look at Nines for a second, he noticed that the android was just as panicked about this and what was to come as he was. His now human heart was beating so fast that Gavin was surprised he wasn’t seeing his t-shirt moving in and out beneath the sheets. Nines didn’t squirm or make a sound, just as he promised, but it didn’t do anything for Gavin’s overwhelming state of doom and anguish.

Closing his eyes and counting back from ‘five’ internally, Gavin irritably ordered, “Can you get your damn pants off, at least?”

“Oh, right.” Getting to that, Nines kicked off his p.j. bottoms and threw them to the floor. Careful not to face Gavin, he announced, “It is done.”

“No shit.” Resorting to praying that he wouldn’t go insane, Gavin decided to say ‘fuck it all’ inside his own mind. He didn’t want to narrate the whole fucking experience for Nines and elucidate what felt right, what felt the best, what to think of while doing what, and where exactly to touch with more pressure. It was a lot better to just _do_ it.

Moving his left hand over Nines, Gavin had just pulled down the white waist band of his underwear and slipped his hand into…into Nines’ clean briefs. Nines swallowed hard at the feeling of warm fingers closing around the human penis rising and begging for more attention. No one had ever touched him that way before, and he hadn’t ever felt the need to do this. His top priorities had always been to serve the DPD first, and ensure the protection and safety of all humans in Detroit, next. When it came to himself, he never indulged, even though he’d been a deviant android for some time.

Gavin glared away straight across the room at a wall while just letting his hand rest over his own cock. It felt the damn same. Nines was right; he’d masturbated himself many, _many_ times. It was just a cock. He’d seen plenty in his time showering in his high school after gym and physical education, and he’d also been chill about it when certain guys in the police academy walked around in the nude before and after showers, too. It wasn’t a big deal. One guy looked the same as any other guy. The only difference lay in shapes and sizes.

Nines was definitely holding himself back, however. Though Gavin had just barely allowed him some time to grow accustomed to his hand there, Nines bit down hard on the insides of his mouth and tongue. It took every bit of willpower he had not to actively moan and respond vocally. He didn’t want this end too soon; it felt _really_ damn good already, and it hadn’t even begun. Pressing his hips and back down into the mattress seemed to promise he would arch and buck into the air. He didn’t need another argument or a slew of curse words flowing from Gavin’s sullied lips and mouth.

When he remained silently listening and assessing in his own limited, human ways, Nines then had a moment of panic overcome himself when Gavin’s palm slid all the way down to the tip of his penis. Wincing and sweating profusely, Nines slowly struggled in vain to recall the startled look on the face of the detective if he found out that he was enjoying this.

Forcing himself to think of unpleasant, unsexy things, Nines closed his eyes and pushed aside thoughts of how his penis was pulsating and throbbing in Gavin’s palm as he fondled him almost tenderly. It took him a second to realize that Gavin had abruptly stopped for a moment, and he was withdrawing his hand…

“Wait!!” Nines cried, not wanting the sensations to be lost, but Gavin growled in a warning.

“Shut it,” he authoritatively snapped. Working quickly, he grunted, “I can’t jerk you off this way; need room to move.” Roughly, Gavin didn’t change his body position, but he made sure to work Nines’ underwear clean off his legs. After awkwardly pulling him from his underwear, once everything else was open and ‘accessible,’ Gavin then removed his hand entirely. He had to wonder what the hell he was doing, and why it’d been so easy to do this to begin with.

Psychologically, he wasn’t prepared for this. As far as he was concerned, no matter who the hell was stuck in his physical shell of a body, as long as they were identifying as a _male_ , he couldn’t ever see himself touching them, getting close to them emotionally, sexually, and intimately, nor could he ever be open to exploring with another man. It was certainly out of the question; he loved his women too much. But this was a situation where there was a huge oddity, and a bit of a ‘roadblock’ in the works. Nines had _his_ body, and so far, he technically wasn’t really doing anything…well, not to make it awkward, anyway.

Across the room to the right was the dresser, and Gavin stared into the mirror resting atop it. Nines’ visage and appearance was there, and it was looking up at him, eyebrows raised in a waiting gesture, as though he knew what was happening–because he did know what was happening–and waiting was the thing that helped. The appearance of Nines glaring right back at himself wasn’t ever something he found he could adjust to seeing, so he turned away from it and spotted a small moth landing on the wall just above his HD TV.

_That’ll do. Stay right there, you little bastard…_

Nines had to muffle a cry from escaping when Gavin’s fingers pulled at the tip of his cock. This was beyond amazing. Nines was truly baffled, and amazed. He was amazed at what he was allowing another guy to do to himself, at the fact that against all odds he hadn’t lost it at that first touch (his first touch there by someone who wasn’t himself…or his CyberLife technician doing routine check-ups and follow-ups to study and report on his system being so advanced), amazed at how incredible it had felt, even for that brief half-moment; so amazed he just couldn’t be bothered with the bells and whistles and alarms going off in his head.

And so he just looked at Gavin sitting there next to him. Not knowing what to expect, Nines winced and flinched when Gavin’s eyes met his. Gavin snarled like a monster, but he didn’t lash out with any harsh, acerbic words or jabs at Nines’ expense. The only thing in the room that remained loud and obnoxious was the faint ‘slick’ sounds that were created due to the friction of Gavin’s hand sliding up and down Nines’ cock, and the pre-cum already gathering all over the tip lewdly serving as lubricant.

This was too embarrassing, and Nines felt he couldn’t blame Gavin at all for initially rejecting and resisting doing this. Though he knew the detective should have slugged him, pushed him off, or at least picked up a hockey stick or something to bash him over the head with, he didn’t. Instead, he just stared at Nines in utter dumbfounded amazement while his shoulder and arm coordinated wonderfully to move up and down over the stiff flesh Nines was slowly losing himself to.

Nines firmly tugged and yanked on a small pillow before biting into it so he wouldn’t dare to moan. Gavin recognized his turmoil and raised his eyebrows in mild amusement.

“You good?” he asked, and Nines truly felt himself nodding, somehow, giving him the okay to continue.

And this time, Gavin got a little faster, his fingers circling him, stroking him once, hard, and before Nines could even gasp, Gavin had withdrawn again. Another chuckle came out of the detective, this time in real mockery. Meanwhile, Nines felt his sympathy for any human male who had to go through this increasing exponentially. Color high in his cheeks, Nines turned and snuck a peek at Gavin while the other male reached for his cock again. The detective who wore his android face was so stubbornly focused. Nines wanted to comment about it, but there was no way it would end in positive results coming his way.

Gavin was livid in the middle of his focus. Eyes not blinking, he was fixated on a random spot on the wall, his dark brown eyebrows furrowed with concentration that was unbreakable as ever. Diligently, he stroked to the point where Nines was salivating around the pillow stuffed into his mouth. As pleasurable and wonderful as this was, Nines wanted…more. Regretfully, he found himself fighting the urge to touch those cheeks that were too perfect and too lovely on Gavin’s RK900 face. This truly was bizarre. Nines was feeling the need to touch and hold nearing himself heavily, almost becoming burdensome due to the incessant, importunate demands it created for him. Instinctively touching and perhaps returning the gesture of what Gavin was doing to him was what someone would do in this situation. As much as Nines loved being on the receiving end of such illimitable pleasures, there was a bit of a ‘distant’ and severed experience here.

He liked it all, but by no means was he comfortable with the idea of touching Gavin. So, he merely smiled as he turned himself away, which raised still more color in his human cheeks.

They continued this way for longer than Gavin would have thought possible. Had it always taken his body this long to achieve an orgasm? Shit! How old was he, again?? While on some level he knew he should’ve put an end to this, shoved Nines away, and ordered him to do the rest himself, he found he couldn’t do it. Something was preventing him from acting out. Gavin sensed he was both utterly elated with Nines–that his human body hadn’t lost it yet, especially when this was way past his usual limit–and, well, that he himself in his android form was completely aroused.

He’d never gotten this far with any guy, partly because of Gavin’s personal limits, his vow to enjoy women, and partly because, he never…well, he never lasted this long wanking, truly.

Thoughts brewing like a storm, he wondered to himself mentally, _Is this my first boner as an android??_ Glancing down at the tent rising beneath his own shorts, he nearly fainted. _How the fuck do I make it go down?!?_

But here he was, giving a hand-job to himself, somehow, and to another man! It wasn’t anything worthy of celebrating, but he was giving his first hand-job!! Nines was soon becoming dizzy, and Gavin could sense it without looking at him. His knees quivered, and he was melting right through the mattress. Biting back rounds of sexual moans, though he almost lost it more than twice, Nines didn’t reach orgasm yet.

_Fucker’s got control, it seems._

For Nines, as he was drenched in his own sweat, the pleasure was building in a way he’d never felt before, to a level he’d never even imagined or dreamt of getting himself to. Gavin was working magic with his hand, but at the same time, the blankets were slipping and sliding due to the erratic motions.

Worried that exposing his lower torso to Gavin would cause fury within the fractious detective, Nines moved to bring the bed sheet back, when his knuckles accidentally brushed his balls.

Hooooooooooooly fuuuuuuuuck. _That. Felt. Good._

Drooling all over himself, he garbled out, “Woooaaaah!! Mooore!!”

Raising a brow, Gavin-with mild interest-chimed in with a hyperbolic peevishness to his tone. “I guess you found my nuts, huh?” Almost tersely, he mumbled, “Enjoy ‘em, you perv. They feel good, don’t they?”

Gavin’s words strangely lit a fire in the pit of Nines’ belly. He had no idea why he wasn’t lashing out when Gavin had called him a ‘perv’. Instead, he felt himself melting and pooling into the sheets.

Gasping for fresh oxygen, Nines cried out in a deep moan, “I’m…oooh god…so wet!”

Gavin slowed down the pace of his strokes, but he surprisingly didn’t cease it altogether. Snorting derisively, he whispered, “Yeah…you are.”

Nines didn’t know what else to do, so he lay there with what he was sure was a stupid expression on his face, watching in fascination as Gavin’s large, pale, hot hand did things to him he didn’t know were possible. Higher and higher, his erection rose, and it became thicker by the minute. Nines was many things right then and there, but ‘turned on’ and ‘grateful’ were fighting for the top spot. Messily writhing about, he didn’t even know he’d managed not to latch onto Gavin as he nearly rolled off the bed. The burning need to touch him was becoming too overwhelming. The demand tugged and yanked at his internal organs it until he was feeling like he _had_ to do something, and he had to do it _now_.

Crumbling apart, Nines bent his head as he wept, “W-what’s…what’s h-haaappening?!?”

Grinning like a cat that was about to devour a canary, Gavin chortled, “That’s my body tellin’ you that you’re about to cum.”

Nines had no idea what ‘coming’ was, but whatever the hell it entailed, it was sending him reeling off the bed. Not wanting to crash to the floor, he arched up into Gavin’s hand, and when the detective tried grabbing onto him, his free hand grazed Nines’ balls again. Instantly, Nines fisted a thick bundle of Gavin’s soft, soft hair between his fingers. Eyes clenched shut, he focused on chasing after the ‘coming’, whatever it was, but he was frightened of Gavin ceasing at a time like this.

To check, Nines carefully opened an eye, and he nearly came apart. There Gavin was before his very eyes, LED light searing red. Shockingly he was allowing Nines to touch him back, and it made the experience sensational and exceptional for Nines. He could understand why humans loved sex as much as they boasted about it. Ruefully, he wondered why he hadn’t searched after such an experience multiple times before.

Sneering, Gavin hissed down at him, never once losing the pacing of his hand. “Don’t you find this weird?” he asked in a deep, guttural noise that sounded too primordial and less human.

Nines innocently looked up at him, his expression also carrying a mixture of ‘beyond aroused’ and ‘grateful,’ and as if to some unspoken signal, maybe something on Gavin’s face. He leaned in and closed over the few inches that separated them, pressing his forehead into Gavin’s shoulder as he shook and quivered.

“Wh-why w-w-would iii-it be w-w-weird?” He despised how odd and weird he sounded, and he prayed Gavin wouldn’t mock him right now. Already, Nines was mortified due to the bizarre sets of noises he was responsible for creating, yet had no idea how in the hell he was making them to begin with. Could it have been possible that someone or something had possessed his vocal cords to utter such things?

Wailing like a demonic entity, while he pressed himself into Gavin, the detective swiftly responded in kind by slamming a free hand down over Nines’ mouth to effectively shut him right up. It worked, and Gavin snickered cruelly.

“Look at me for a sec, dipshit.”

Unsure as to why he’d obeyed, Nines felt drawn and pulled into the depths of Gavin’s eyes. When he’d rewarded Gavin with what he’d wanted, the detective curled a few fingers beneath Nines’ chin and dipped his head back slightly.

Once the angle was right, he smirked fiendishly as he stated, “Doesn’t it make you feel like a freak seein’ your own fuckin’ face and feelin’ your own fuckin’ hand touchin’ _my_ cock? Hmm?”

Nines could only whisper under his breath, “Noooo…I…I—AAAHH!!”

Something finally exploded. Nines wasn’t certain how it’d happened, but one minute, he was registering feeling how the contrast of warm air and cool air was blasting into his face from the open window, and the next, Gavin’s hand around his heated cock had wrenched too much from him. Unable to withstand it all, Nines leaned back and dug a hand in Gavin’s forearm while the detective’s eyes blew open wide. The pace of his hand slowed down significantly, but while Nines released a white, hot mess all over them both, Gavin was incapable of uttering a single word.

Nines had thrown his head back and leaned into Gavin for support. He was certain that if he hadn’t, he would’ve dissolved away into the bed and mattress, somehow. He was a mass of nothing, and everything; barren, unhinged, raw, and subject to combustion. Piece by piece, layer by layer, atom by atom, molecule by molecule, he was disappearing, only to be re-shaped and re-modeled in the afterbirth of such a sweet, nectar-like sensation. Bones turning to jelly, and then to dust, Nines slithered and slid down against Gavin’s chest, head resting in his lap. His right arm still gripped tightly onto Gavin’s left forearm, the hand there loosening its grip over his rapidly deflating cock. It was totally flaccid as Nines came and expelled human semen one last time before his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Again, feeling so cold, wet, and sticky between his legs hit him potently, and he curled away from it as he sought out warmth from Gavin.

Pulling his hand away from between Nines legs, Gavin’s face formed into a moue of utter contempt and hatred as he growled in disgust. “Get off me.” Moving away, he flitted off the edge of the bed, leaving Nines sprawled on the messy bed while shivering.

Scoffing, Gavin wiped his left hand over the corner of the sheets as he clipped out sternly, “Clean up on your own; I’m going to bed.”

He didn’t even leave the bedroom door open for Nines to pass into the bathroom. That would be discourteous as it was, and Nines fucking _deserved_ it. After what he’d forced Gavin to suffer through, he god damn deserved it a million times over.

**^^**

**Dennis, 11:44 p.m.  
heya**

**Nines, 11:49 p.m.  
yo.**

**Dennis, 11:53 p.m.  
what’s up?**

**Nines, 11:54 p.m.  
nothin’ new. hows it goin with u and Brendan?**

**Dennis, 11:56 p.m.  
dont ask. **

Something had broken in the universe, perhaps. A hole, maybe, but something was being sucked into a black hole, a powerful quagmire of murk and muck nocuous and thoroughly destructive. Toxicity was overwhelming, a near lethal dose rocking into him as poisonous and deadly as could be. Why was he so vacuous and dull? Why wasn’t he waking up from such a lull that was of course pernicious and deleterious?

In layman’s terms, why the actual fuck was Gavin Reed engaging in chatting with Dennis again? Hadn’t he learned his lesson the first time? Was he _that_ much of a fool and a blithering imbecile that he’d be willing to open the doors and floodgates to invite the probability of an issue stirring?

Well, truthfully, he had nothing better to do. After jacking Nines off, he’d taken a quick shower first, aiming to avoid the stupid android lurking in his form for the rest of the week, if he could. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed; he was disgusted. This entire issue was beyond a cluster fuck and the largest mind fuck of the century. Now that a sexual element had been added on to it, Gavin didn’t know how to respond other than to act reclusive. He didn’t want to talk to Nines, look at him, or be caught dead around him. As such, being aloof was probably the best thing for them both, really.

His phone buzzed in a demand, and like a crack addict, Gavin stared down at it.

**Dennis, 12:05 a.m.  
hey, this might b kinda weird 2 ask, but r u single?**

_Well, this is getting to be too much…ain’t it?_

Siccar of how putrid and vile this was, Gavin sternly texted back, aiming to be as ‘removed’ and ‘cold’ as he could.

**Nines, 12:09 a.m.  
stop. **

**Dennis, 12:11 a.m.  
guess that means ‘yes’. Cool! **

**Nines, 12:13 a.m.  
hey, ur putting words in my mouth. stop **

**Dennis, 12:15 a.m.  
can i put somethin else in ur mouth instead? ;d **

“Fuck me…this kid is too much,” Gavin rasped, feeling light semblances of brigue with the fact that Dennis had been so brazen and crass. This kid apparently had no morals and ethics, but Gavin remembered one thing: as old as he was in human years, in Dennis’ perspective, he was an _android_. No age, no limits, supposedly.

Cringing upon understanding fully that he couldn’t wipe away traces of the conversation lest he wanted to be fired for tampering with the case, Gavin really started putting on his ‘detective cap’ and ‘bigger brother’ shirt as far as dealing with Dennis was concerned. The conclusion he’d reached on his own when it came to the playful young male was one of two things. Either Dennis was messing around and trolling him for the heck of it, or he genuinely was developing something of a ‘crush’ or fascination. Gavin didn’t like either of the two theories he’d personally gathered, and more than anything, he wanted to prove them _both_ wrong.

**Nines, 12:26 a.m.  
u need to STOP. **

**Dennis, 12:27 a.m.  
just answer my question then i will. **

So be it. If there was one thing Gavin excelled and reveled in, it was lying and deceiving people. Hell, he did it for a fucking living, so why not apply it here when he needed it the most?

**Nines, 12:30 a.m.  
yah, im taken, so plz stp, k?**

Would the message _finally_ click for Dennis, now?? Sitting back on his living room sofa, Gavin hoped and prayed to anyone listening out there in the cosmos that Dennis wouldn’t dare to ask for a name or a photo serving as proof that he was in a relationship. Of course, it always came with lying through his teeth, but Gavin had deleted every single photo and memory of his exes, especially after what had happened with Nines.

_…Wait, should I tell him that Nines-err, I mean, ‘Gavin’ is my partner or some shit??_

…No. That was plain wrong, and it was only borrowing trouble.

However, it appeared that Gavin wouldn’t be needing that at all. Dennis’ text proved to him that his lie hadn’t worked; Dennis was far too clever and read between the signs too soon.

**Dennis, 12:37 a.m.  
u expect me to believe that ? lol **

**Nines, 12:39 a.m.  
yes! **

**Dennis, 12:41 a.m.  
suuure.if u reeeally had a partner, then how come ur sitting here talking to me at almost 1 in the morning, Lieutenant? **

….

Gavin was floored, and without even realizing it, he’d already let his fingers foolishly do the talking for him.

**Nines, 12:44 a.m.  
damn, ur good…well, my cover’s blown, i guess. **

**Dennis, 12:45 a.m.  
hehe. need 2 b clever, Lieutenant!! **

Scowling at the phone, Gavin of course had noticed that again, the word ‘need’ was sent in a different color much lighter than the rest of the sentence.

Wanting to fish around to gather whatever he could from Dennis, Gavin decided to humor him and ‘play along’.

**Nines, 12:48 a.m.  
i am clver. i work for the dpd. duh. **

Oh boy, was this ever childish and infantile, and he knew there would be hell to pay, sure enough.

**Dennis, 12:50 a.m.  
to each their own. meh schmeh. **

“There it is again,” Gavin pointed out to himself, tapping on the word ‘to’. It was colossally interesting to Gavin that for a few times in a row, when it came to the word ‘to’, Dennis shortened it by applying and supplying the actual number 2 as opposed to writing the word. Yet now, he had used it…way out of line, and it sounded off alarm bells in his brain.

**Nines, 12:51 a.m.  
k, well whatever ideas u got in your brain, drop them,now. i dont mess around with people in relationships. EVER. **

**Dennis, 12:54 a.m.  
Run away with ur feelings! **

_Run? That’s colored, too…_

**Nines, 12:55 a.m.  
yeaaah how about no?**

As petty as it sounded, he had to chuckle at his own witticism. A lot of his friends and ex-girlfriends had often complained to him that he acted more like a bratty teenager than an adult, so right about now, he felt as though he connected perfectly with Dennis’ age. It was strange how he could talk to other people within his age cohort and not feel a damn thing, but when conversing with someone vastly younger, an almost instantaneous bond sparked.

**Dennis, 12:57 a.m.  
have u ever been with another guy, Lieutenant?**

Gavin nearly crushed his phone in his grip. Yes, that sentence had come out in the way he’d read. Nothing was texted back to Dennis as Gavin’s fingers hovered over the ‘delete’ button. For a moment, he considered blocking Dennis, but then something surged in his gut and presented itself almost like a searing heat in the panic. He was surprised to find this here, even as an android. As a human, he’d felt and experienced it many times, and he’d referred to it as his own ‘detective instincts’. He was onto something with this case, and since his instincts were screaming at him to talk to Dennis, he felt he had to keep the conversation going.

 _I’m sure Fowler will understand that this wasn’t the real context and he’ll forgive me later…maybe not…who gives a shit._ That was as good of a compunction as he felt, and probably as good as it would ever get for him.

Hurriedly, Gavin scrambled to form the ‘Cross’ with his right hand, said a tiny prayer for his upcoming sins, and then asked whoever the hell was listening (not that he believed in this crap) to get his beloved, now-deceased grandmother to bless him as he went about his new line of ‘investigation’.

**Nines, 1:04 a.m.  
nah. im 100% straight.**

A gluttonous Dennis replied almost within a few seconds.

**Dennis, 1:04 a.m.  
yeah, trust me, no one is 100% anything. 4 the longest time, i tht i was into girls, 2. **

**Nines, 1:05 a.m.  
then? wht happnd?**

_…Woah, why am I askin’ like it’s the most important thing in the world to me, now??_

**Dennis, 1:08 a.m.  
well, had my 1st kiss wit a guy when i was 15 and loved it since. soooo i no im not straight, but i still tried dating girls.**

**Nines, 1:109 a.m.  
well im different. love bangin chicks.**

**Dennis, 1:11 a.m.  
i dont, never have.**

**Nines, 11:11 a.m.  
how do u no unless u try then**

**Dennis, 11:12 a.m.  
bcuz a guys body for me feels sooo right. i just feel its right for me and perfect.**

Yet again, this was stumbling into inappropriate, uncharted territory, but Gavin felt he had a personal investment in this, now. To him, here was a young kid flaunting his sexuality about in his face like a damn flag, and it seemed like although he hadn’t even been through half the jaded experiences Gavin had due to his older age, Dennis was speaking with far too much confidence.

What did he know about anything, anyway?? He was just a kid, and a kid with a large ego problem who thought he knew how the world of adults worked. Immediately, Gavin wanted to correct that errant behavior, and he didn’t care how parental he would sound along the not so merry way.

**Nines, 1:14 a.m.  
well, that maybe worked 4 u, but i got my tastes, and mens bods arent 1 of them. **

Quickly, he added: **tits r sexy as hell.**

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, a tiny voice chanted at him to stop, to make some excuse and go to bed, and to never speak with Dennis again. Gavin however wasn’t a bastion at self-control always, nor was he that great with taking his own advice.

Shame.

**Dennis, 1:16 a.m.  
this is sad**

**Nines, 1:17 a.m.  
wut is**

Though he’d partially ceased caring much about what Dennis thought of him due to his own anger bolstering his actions and words, Gavin was already preparing for another snarky, standoffish comment that would only highlight Dennis’ youthful age and innocence due to a lack of hardened experience. Yes, he felt he could put up with that and toss it back in the young man’s face, but what Gavin Reed _couldn’t_ and _didn’t_ know how to do was how to respond to the text Dennis had sent. Did it even need a reply? It seemed like such an accusatory, declarative statement about Gavin’s character, and while he should’ve regarded it closely as an insult enough to rebuke, he just was unable to do so.

**Dennis, 1:21 a.m.  
i see a guy whos definitely open 2 being with other guys, yet is held back by the need 2 defend and prove how straight he is. thats whats so sad. let urslf be free and enjoy life, plz.**

Hastily, Gavin sent the only thing he could send in order to extricate himself from this mess he’d willingly walked himself blindly into.

**Nines, 1:21 a.m.  
gtg.**

Until dawn, he thought over and over about the true meaning behind Dennis’ words. Knowing he’d pondered it all long enough to give it credence and power, he felt beyond weak, but at the same time, incapable of holding off on ruminating about those words.


	9. Tropical Heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this chapter belongs to Dido, and it's called 'Thank You'.  
> Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQiipuDbbxw

Gavin deleted his entire conversation history with Dennis, but wisely, before erasing it all, he stored it away mentally while he still had his android powers. Nines wasn’t super chatty the next morning, and he surprisingly had slept in late past noon. Thankfully, it was only a Sunday morning, but it was already panning out to be a tiresome day.

Nines was smoking away indoors nonstop while wearing dark jogging shorts and a thin black sweater with the hoodie propped over his head. The gauze and band aid still covered the wounds he sported from the accident during the disastrous shaving encounter, no doubt still playing a part in a grumpy Nines strutting about the apartment. Wherever he went, smoke and ash trailed along after him, and that obviously was no good for the apartment Gavin was paying rent for. His landlord was going to have him by the balls, and it would all be Nines’ fault.

No…that wouldn’t do. Nines had already caused him plenty of problems, and he could do without more of them piling up. Storming over to Nines with fire in his eyes, he snatched his fourth cigarette clean out from between his lips and threw it right out the open window. Outside, the weather was still rainy, cold, gloomy, and abysmal. The cigarette was immediately put out, but Nines chased it right up to the window as he wailed his head off.

Troublesome, truly.

“Waaah! Reed!” he yelled out through his sorrow, “that was my _last_ cigarette!!” Turning around, he brushed water off his scarred nose and glared madly at Gavin.

Shrugging blandly, Gavin crudely and bluntly pointed out the window. “You want it back? Go get it then. Be my fuckin’ guest.”

Nines hissed at him while he spun away from the window, casually walking past the kitchen without any care in the world.

“You’re an asshole!” Nines shrieked at his back, “I’m addicted to these things—err, well, _you_ are, and instead of helping me, you—”

“Oh, I believe I helped you _plenty_ last night, you douchebag,” Gavin pointed out factually, no matter how disgusted he remained when he remembered the incident as horrific as the worst, F grade horror movie of the month. “You don’t need anythin’ else from me, and I’m _not_ gonna let you smoke indoors and mess up the paint of the walls and ceiling.”

Fuming, Nines jeered, “I can’t fathom why. I bet you used to smoke like a chimney all the time indoors—”

“You’re not paying rent, right?” Gavin interrupted waspishly, causing Nines to scowl as his mouth snapped shut. Sheepishly, he frowned, but only shook his head. “Exactly what I thought,” Gavin sighed, then gestured at Nines’ face. “Take off that damn hoodie, too; you look like a uni-bomber lately.”

Nearly exploding, Nines screamed potently as he clenched his fists at his sides. “You just love getting me all riled up, don’t you, Reed?” Snorting, he added cleverly, “It doesn’t surprise me, though; it’s probably the _only_ thing you’re good at.”

Gavin met his sarcastic looking smirk, and right away, he wanted nothing more than to physically appease himself by wiping that damn grin off Nines’ face- _his_ own face…whatever. He just wanted Nines to stop looking at him in such a self-satisfying way, but an untimely interruption soon came at the front door.

A loud knocking abruptly ended their argument, and both Gavin and Nines raced to the front door. Practically climbing on top of each other, they competitively fought and struggled for who would peek through the tiny, round glass insert peephole. Gavin, being in Nines’ larger, broader, stronger body, was able to shove the weaker human torso to the side. Nines nearly crashed into the hallway closet before emitted a strained roar.

“You fool! You don’t need to physically check the damn door!!” Reminding Gavin of his android powers, he winced as he stumbled and staggered about, trying desperately to gain balance on both legs.

Pausing, Gavin blinked as he then sarcastically coughed out, “Oh. Shit.”

Nines brushed himself off as he then stood before the door, squinting through the tiny glass peephole. “I can’t see—aah!!” A heavy, sturdy weight barreled into him, sending him flying into the coat and scarf racks. It toppled down to the floor with a loud ‘crash’, and Nines nearly lay sprawled over it weakly.

Glaring over his shoulder at Gavin, he caught the android’s LED light flashing from blue to yellow. Hiding his mirth and joy behind a phony frown of concern, Gavin sighed without any hint of concern. “Oopsies. Sorry about that, my man.”

Squirming to get up, Nines moodily spat out, “Yeah, I can see how sorry you are about it.” While the dour android fought to set the hanger rack back up, he cursed Gavin to hell and back a few times. As he did that, Gavin knew precisely who it was waiting on the other side of the door. However, rather than just informing Nines as to who it was, he wanted nothing more than to actually bear witness to how Nines would react once the door opened.

Not at all bothering to wait for Nines, Gavin quickly yanked his hoodie up, revealing his face while unlocking the door. Nines muttered something under his breath, but found he had to eat his words once the door swung all the way open. Right there before them both-dressed quite fancily-happened to be Dennis.

Nines was stunned beyond belief, and Gavin appeared mildly miffed. Both partners were silent, but soon, Nines sputtered while he tried forming a coherent greeting. Dennis was cheerful in his appearance and demeanor. He had slicked back his blonde bangs, combing them over neatly. On his lower eyelids, he’d applied just a touch of eyeliner, no doubt to make his eye color pop out. He wore a pink t-shirt and deep blue shorts, with soft white sneakers. 

Holding up a hand, he beamed as he spoke softly, “Hey!”

A red LED light from Gavin and a quivering jaw from Nines was his reply for a moment. This, in turn stunned Dennis, as well, and he let out a small gasp once he saw the gauze over Nines’ jaw.

“Err, what happened?”

Nines held a hand at his jaw, while Gavin’s eyes shifted over to the gauze. At once, the detective realized how badly this could all seem, especially due to the minor disarray and disheveled appearance of Nines’ apparel and hair after being rammed and bashed against the closet and coat hangers.

Nines-ever true to his nature-responded soothly. Pointing seriously at Gavin, he roared, “ _He_ cut me while he was helping me shave!”

Bewildered with what he’d just heard, Dennis frowned before one of his perfectly plucked and trimmed light brown eyebrows rose on his brow ridge. “You’re almost forty yet you can’t shave on your own?” Scoffing, he stood back as he whistled, “Kaaay…weird.”

Immediately, Nines turned beet red in the face, realizing his error in the way of his response. Thinking quickly on his feet, Gavin joked lightly, “Just a fight between two buddies; nothin’ to see here much.” He missed the look of raw fury Nines offered him.

“Oh,” Dennis frowned, “right…umm…so…” Eyes surveying back and forth between Gavin and Nines, he seemed to grow a bit tense as he glared at Nines. In his human form, the android glared back. Not the brightest thing to do.

Almost jealously, Dennis rasped, “Who’s this, Lieutenant Nines?”

Nines’ eyes went wide, but Gavin was quick to shout out, “He’s actually my partner…err, _work_ partner, I must emphasize!!” Nervously, he panted out, “This is Detective Gavin Reed!”

Nines appeared to be slightly disturbed that he had to be referred to by Gavin’s title, but with Dennis present, he could only stand back and glower like a mad man. Loudly, he brazenly snapped with very little patience, “Excuse me, but I need to know who _you_ are as well!”

Gavin did the honors as he pointed casually, “This is Dennis Spielman, Ni-I mean, Reed!” Sharply, he looked deeper into Nines’ eyes, practically begging for him to ‘wake up’ and smell the coffee, in any way. “He’s the young man Captain Fowler sent us to check on regarding the romantic dispute!”

While Dennis stared on intently at Nines, seemingly trying to work this all out in his own head, Nines snapped out of his confusion relatively quickly.

“Oh! Right!” Nodding, he cleared his throat as he stated, “I wasn’t there to meet you when my partner walked into your place, forgive me for that.” Holding his arm out, he supplied as politely as he could, “It’s a pleasure, really.”

Grinning in amusement, Dennis planted a hand on his hip as he chuckled, “Yeah, seems about right.” He didn’t take Nines’ offered hand as he nodded up at Gavin. “You two living together, or what?”

Before Gavin could say a word, Nines butted in as he snarled, “Wait a minute, how the heck did you find this address, anyway?!” Accusations ran wildly in his eyes as he turned to Gavin, tilting his head as though to want to communicate: ‘the hell did you say to this guy?’

As Dennis and Gavin stood by in uncomfortable silence, Nines added, “And what the hell are you doing here, anyway?!” He couldn’t help but be tense and rigid in his line of inquiry, but Dennis clearly wasn’t appreciating it.

Whispering to himself, his eyebrows shot up, and he let out a dull, long whistle that sounded less than impressed, and beyond a sarcastic reply. “Wooooow,” rolling his eyes, he spat, “where’d you get the nerve??” Then, he addressed Gavin while he pretended Nines wasn’t even near them. “I think your partner needs to be taught a thing or two about politeness, Lieutenant Nines.”

Nines wasn’t thrilled about someone telling him what he needed, and what he didn’t need. Picking up on where his line of inquiry had been left off, he started barking out questions as though he was interrogating Dennis as opposed to just engaging him in friendly conversation for the first time ever. “I believe my partner asked you a question!” Waving madly as if he were swatting an angry swarm of flies out of his face, he snapped, “How did you find this address?!?”

Internally, Gavin felt beyond mortified and shocked. For _himself,_ this was usually how Nines behaved all the time when suspicious or stressed. However, for someone else on the receiving end of it, especially a third party who wasn’t accustomed to how Nines was in terms of his character, the behavior displayed was quite rude and careless. Not at all becoming of one working for the DPD, no doubt.

Dennis seemed beyond fed up with Nines, and apparently, he appeared to display signs that he found Nines physically repulsive. Nose scrunched up, shoulders tightened, and body rigid, Dennis put on an aggressive stance while eyeing the gauze and band aid over Nines’ jaw and cheek.

Scoffing, Dennis replied with plenty of sarcasm dripping and sliding off his words. “I looked around on my level, first, because Lieutenant Nines told me he lived in the building. As you can imagine, it was rather difficult to find you guys.” Giggling, he explained softly, “I knocked around on every door until someone finally told me that you were only a floor above my room! I’m such a dummy, huh?”

Though the question had been rhetorical, Nines snapped mordantly, “You could’ve just asked the superintendent, so yes, I’d say you’re pretty foolish. Could’ve saved yourself some ti—mmmphh!?!”

“My partner’s a bit unwell today,” Gavin interrupted as he grabbed a small napkin from his back pocket and shoved it deeply into Nines’ mouth, effectively shutting the rude android up for a moment. “Please excuse the dipshit.”

Dennis appeared to be both intrigued by Gavin, but also rather grateful for him silencing his partner up. Eyes coruscating brightly, Dennis chuckled out, “It’s fine. I just wanted to actually ask you both something.” He appeared to regret saying the word ‘both’, as though being forced due to social politeness.

Nines spat out the napkin, inhaling sharply as he shoved Gavin as roughly as he could. The android body Gavin was in however managed to keep his weight up, and he didn’t budge an inch. So much for Nines’ emprise.

Smiling mostly at Gavin, empressment ran heavily through Dennis, and played a significant part in him crowing out, “Since we’re all neighbors, now, I’d like to invite you guys over for a few drinks and just to hang out for a bit.”

“Hmm,” Gavin pondered it for a moment, but then felt suspicion sweeping through himself. Craning his head down at Dennis’ shorter stature, he grunted neutrally, “This invitation comin’ from you, or Brendan?”

Nines whispered: ‘Who gives a shit about Brendan?’ under his breath, but no one paid him any mind. Anything that went on in terms of tension rang on between Gavin and Dennis. Gavin’s LED light spun, and spun, and spun, resembling a whirlpool of chaos as it stayed on yellow consistently.

A dull, pregnant pause almost intense enough to choke Nines and Dennis persisted until Gavin finally smirked. “I’m not goin’ unless you tell me, Dennis.”

Meeting the challenge Gavin’s grin presented fully, Dennis chimed out like a bell, “Oh, the whole darn thing was practically Brendan’s idea…” Eyes searching Gavin up and down, he licked his lips as he concluded pleasantly, “Trust me, we _both_ would love to have you over, so come on down whenever you’re ready.”

Nines sputtered for words messily. “Now? Isn’t that a bit...err, abrupt?”

Dennis shrugged coolly. “No time like the present, right?” While Gavin and Nines stood gaping after him, he skipped with an almost boyish air about. Beaming brightly at them, as he spun around facing the empty hall, he called out to them, “We’ll be home all day!!”

Gavin cried back, “Yeah uh…sure, just let me—” Wincing once he caught Nines seething at him, and then at Dennis, he took a moment to rethink his words before phrasing them appropriately and effectively enough. “Please, just let me discuss this with Gavin, and we’ll see what we can do, kay?”

Humming, Dennis sang softly, “As you prefer!”

While he skipped away in the distance, Gavin went to close the door, but then froze as he remembered what Dennis had said regarding ‘Nines’ not being able to shave. Mortified, he thought to himself, _Wait…did he just say I look like I’m forty? Holy shit…_

Jabbing his elbow into Nines’ ribs, he coughed, “Dennis just called _you_ old!”

Pausing for a moment before it clicked for him, Nines shouted out into the hall energetically, “H-hey! I’m not old! How rude of you!!”

Dennis never stuck around to answer Nines back, but Gavin playfully already sensed that the adventurous young man was smiling from ear to ear in amusement anyway.

**^^**

It’d been decided in less than a few minutes after Dennis departed from their door that they’d stop by for the invitation of drinks and a chat, after all. Gavin saw it as an opportunity to try and observe both Brendan and Dennis close up, while Nines focused on gathering intel, mingling with ‘humans’, as well as tried to distance himself from Gavin.

Well. Whatever. To each their own. He didn’t give much of a shit what motivated Nines, and what he wanted to do. Frankly, after being cooped up indoors for a few days thanks to the week slowing down, and thanks to the horrible weather, Gavin felt he was already becoming deranged. Cabin fever, as they called it, had gotten to him. He needed and wanted a change of pace and scenery, and he was growing tired of being around the awkwardness that was Nines.

So, it was decided rather easily, which Gavin found rather odd and unique. Usually, he was arguing day and night with Nines, but now, the android had willingly dressed in a casual Captain Morgan shirt, and dark jeans. Combing his hair back, he actually didn’t do a totally bad job when it came to fixing up Gavin’s human hair. In return for his ‘up-keep’, Gavin donned the newest of the dark jeans he’d purchased on their mini shopping excursion and on Nines’ upper torso, he only donned a simple Slipknot shirt.

Good enough.

They reached the door with the rusty, golden number 204, and Nines knocked quickly. Standing next to Gavin firmly, he tilted his head for a moment, clearly listening to something faint and distant sounding. Whatever it was, Gavin heard it, too. It sounded a lot like music coming from the other side of the door.

Nines stared at him, causing Gavin to merely shrug. Someone was approaching the door, and in no time, after a few clicking sounds, the door creaked open. Gavin hadn’t been all that surprised when Brendan answered. This bastard just _loved_ being in control, and he wanted to do _everything_.

Brendan looked just as mean and annoyed as the first time Gavin met him. He was wearing a dark dress shirt with white buttons. The cuffs had been rolled back, as were the sleeves almost up to Brendan’s sharp elbows. He wore grey casual pants on his lower torso, and his single, silver loop earring glimmered in the hallway lights.

Nodding curtly at Gavin, first, he coldly bit out, “Lieutenant Nines.” Shifting his gaze at Nines, then, he scowled as he hummed deeply, “This is your boyfriend?”

Nines turned pale as he shrieked, “What the?!”

At once, as he sputtered on the spot in confusion, Dennis appeared behind Brendan. Gavin noted that the young man didn’t get too close to his ‘partner’. Instead, he leaned out into the hall before Gavin as much as he could, and he winked impishly as he blushed. In comparison to Brendan Walker, Dennis looked perfect. His hair wasn’t too much gelled back. Today, he’d let it hang loose, and it gave him a more relaxed and mature appearance. He wore a salmon colored golf shirt and soft white shorts that hung past the middle of his thighs. As his eyes scanned lower, Gavin noticed that Dennis had recently waxed his legs…

Beaming at them both, Dennis’ eyes finally settled on Gavin while he giggled and then sighed almost fondly. “Sorry, that was my bad,” he chuckled lightly, “I was kidding around, and I told Brendan that you were dating Gavin, here.”

Smiling as politely as he could, Gavin stated, “It’s fine, but I’m as straight as an arrow.”

Nines rolled his eyes at this, and Brendan merely scoffed. Inching away from the door, he waved almost mawkishly as he beckoned them in. “Well?” he almost taunted, “come on in, guys.”

Gavin didn’t need another invitation. This was as good as it would get from Brendan Walker, and he was willing to accept that. Head held high, he marched inside, making sure to kick off his dark Nike’s while Nines followed him. Placing the shoes onto a shoe mat, he eyed Brendan’s dark blue crocs, and he snorted rudely at how stupid they looked. Unfortunately, Brendan heard him, and he stopped in his tracks at once.

Spinning around halfway, he growled, “Something funny, Lieutenant?”

Dennis jabbed verbally at his partner, “Yeah, your crocs, probably.”

_Bingo._

Brendan waved his words off as he snapped shortly, “They’re comfy. Who gives a shit?”

“I don’t care how comfortable crocs are,” Dennis intervened with his crude opinion, “you look like a dumbass.”

Nearly bursting out in laughter, Gavin thought to himself sharply, _Daaamn, if he were a girl, he’d be mine already with that level of wit._

… _Wait, what?_

Pushing his odd thoughts to the side, he had to chastise himself for a quick second for even entertaining that idea to begin with. This was still someone who he considered a victim, and here he was pondering on thoughts of Dennis as a female, dating her? Him?

The temerity…

Jutting out his chin, Gavin commented quickly to cover his mental bumble, “Nah, I wasn’t thinkin’ that; I was just impressed this place is a lot cleaner than it was last time I was here.”

As he lied through his teeth regarding the matter of what he found amusing, he at least hadn’t fabricated his response about the state of the apartment Dennis and Brendan shared. Compared with last time, it was spotless, now, and smelled recently cleaned and vacuumed through and through. The windows and table surfaces encased in wood and glass shone and coruscated brighter than ever beneath the lights. The carpet felt too fluffy in the living room as Gavin paced around. The furniture didn’t even hold a single fingerprint anywhere, and the kitchen was meticulous and orderly. A few bottles of beer as well as a few beer cans rested on top of the table, and next to the alcohol were red plastic cups and a few ice cube trays. Truly, Gavin was impressed.

The TV was on in the living room, and an intense wrestling match was on display. Nines watched it for a moment before shaking his head and moving away in boredom. As he wandered away, Gavin again took to scanning the apartment for anything unusual or ‘hidden’. Strangely, just like the previous time, he didn’t find anything. Perhaps it was better to cease and desist. Plus, Brendan was looking his way a few times, and he seemed pissed. 

As both Gavin and Nines had correctly heard, streaming from the kitchen windowsill was music flowing out of an iPod resting on a dark iPod dock. The music soared through the air, and while the window was open just a tad, it actually contributed to a rather gentle, serene effect to swoop around the room. As the raindrops fell outside onto the grass and pavement, the music soothingly hit all corners of the apartment melodically and pleasantly.

_My tea’s gone cold; I’m wondering why I got out of bed at all,_

_The morning rain clouds up my window, and I can’t see at all…_

Nines listened intently, and he sighed to himself. Standing tall, he held his hands close to his chest, almost swaying to the beat of the music. “I like this song! Who’s it performed by?”

Sarcastically, Brendan snorted, “Avril Lavigne.”

While both Gavin and Dennis glared away madly at Brendan, Nines cooed, “Ooooh! Nice! She sounds like a very talented woman!”

 _Nines, you’re waaay too innocent for this fucked up world,_ Gavin thought as he eyed the bottles of beautiful alcohol beckoning him and calling out to him. Though he wasn’t able to salivate, he suppressed a groan as he practically was able to scent and taste the familiar taste of whiskey and brandy. _Shit, I miss bein’ human and drinkin’…_

“Gavin!” Dennis cried out suddenly, and both Nines and Gavin glanced up.

Accidentally, due to being lost reminiscing about beer and how wonderful getting drunk and tipsy was, Gavin answered at the same time Nines did.

“Yeah?”

Brendan and Dennis exchanged confused stares before Dennis snickered in shock. “Umm, I was talking to Gavin Reed, Lieutenant!” Winking, he chirruped, “But we can talk later, too!”

Brendan scowled upon hearing this, but he kept his mouth sealed tightly shut as he tugged at his loop earring in mild irritation. Gavin didn’t even need to scan him to be able to tell that Brendan Walker’s temper was slowly increasing to levels of dangerous, corrosive anger.

_And even if I could it’d all be grey, but your picture on my wall,_

_It reminds me that it’s not so bad, it’s not so bad…_

With a loud ‘pop’, Dennis opened a bottle for himself, pouring it into a red cup. While doing that, he hummed lightly to himself, clearly thinking nothing of his actions. Behind him, Brendan approached, a scowl sternly set on his face. Seemingly livid, it didn’t require much in the way of time before Brendan pressed down on Dennis’ right arm. The younger man ceased what he was doing immediately and swallowed a tad loudly. Nines couldn’t hear it, but Gavin most certainly had.

The beverage ceased being poured into the cup, but Brendan held on tighter and tighter to Dennis’ wrist. Both Brendan’s and Dennis’ skin appeared whiter and whiter, due to the pressure and firm grip. Gavin didn’t like it at all, but he stood by in the doorway leading to the kitchen while glaring at Brendan.

_I drank too much last night, got bills to pay, my head just feels in pain,_

Not even blinking, Dennis rasped, “Brendan, what do you want?”

His question caught Nines’ attention now, too, thankfully. Treading softly into the kitchen, Nines observed the two men standing close to one another before he questioned gently, “Err, do you guys need some help?”

_I missed the bus and there’ll be hell today, I’m late for work again,_

Shaking his head first soundly, Brendan commented, “No, Dennis here sometimes forgets his _manners_ , and he needs a good little reminder here and there; nothing big.” Looming over in his partner’s face menacingly, Brendan nodded once. Though he wasn’t staring at Brendan, Dennis could sense _something_ in the way of a message coming through. The communication tactic-however odd it was-served its purpose. Dennis set down the bottle he’d been emptying into his cup, and he turned to grab the ice cube tray.

_And even if I’m there, they’ll all imply that I might not last the day,_

_And then you call me and it’s not so bad, it’s not so bad…_

Wordlessly, the young man threw in two ice cubes into a new cup, and he then poured in a ton of Bacardi. Brendan watched carefully, and when Dennis had completed his task, he released his hold on the young man’s wrist.

Grabbing his cup, Brendan held it up to his chin, and he sarcastically raised it in a toast at Dennis. “Thank you, babe.”

_I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life,_

_Oh, just to be with you is having the best day of my life…_

Nines seemed clueless and hopeless as ever, but he snapped to attention in no time. Clearing his throat, he approached the drinks set on the kitchen table as he pretended to look over them. Watching him for a moment, Dennis calmly turned to him while Brendan exited the kitchen.

“Gavin,” Dennis began, “what’s your poison, then?”

_Push the door, I’m home at last and I’m soaking through and through,_

_Then you handed me a towel and all I see is you,_

Bumping into Gavin suddenly, Brendan coughed out, “Sorry about that.” As he passed Gavin, who was still lingering in the doorway, a cruel, cold sneer was etched onto his face. Gavin eyed it warily, and he knew then that Brendan had smashed into him on purpose. It was nothing more than an intimidation tactic hindering on aggression, no doubt due to asserting himself and showing who was more ‘dominant’ in this entire outfit.

Disgusting.

Nines’ eyes spun around the bottles and their labels, and his index finger trailed back and forth between Coors Light and Bacardi. “Umm, I th-think I’ll have what Brendan had,” he finally decided before adding in gently, “thanks.”

_And even if my house falls down now, I wouldn’t have a clue,_

Dennis poured him his drink, and as he then nabbed his own, he exited the kitchen. Slowing down in his pace, he eyed Gavin shortly as he stated politely, “Sucks that I couldn’t get you one, but it’s nice to have an android around anyway.”

_Because you’re near me and I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life,_

“It’s fine,” Gavin commented back just as nicely, “I’m happy to be here.”

Before Dennis could get a word in, Brendan suddenly cried out to them all from the living room. “Hey, getting kinda lonely in here!”

Rolling his eyes, Dennis called back, “Right, let’s go.”

_Oh, just to be with you is having the best day of my life,_

Once Dennis was out of earshot, Nines approached Gavin with his drink in his hand. Surreptitiously, he whispered, “I don’t feel so good about this.”

Returning his nervous glance in the most furtive way possible, Gavin turned back as he nodded and mouthed, ‘Keep your eyes on Brendan.’

When both Nines and Gavin were sat on two separate chairs across from Brendan and Dennis, the older male wrapped a long arm around Dennis’ shoulders all while smirking triumphantly at Gavin. Seething, Gavin’s LED light turned red as he mentally imagined himself beating the shit out of Brendan until he didn’t even have a single tooth left in his mouth.

_I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life,_

Sipping his drink, Nines cheerfully played the part of a wonderful guest as he inquired, “So, how long have you two been together?”

“Two years,” Dennis answered truthfully, wriggling gently on the sofa and creating a little bit of space between his body and Brendan’s. This seemed to infuriate the older partner, and he scooted closer until he was joined at the hip with Dennis. The younger male had nowhere to go, and he resorted to sitting stiffly while glaring at the coffee table.

_Oh, just to be with you is having the best day of my life…_

The song ended, but Gavin’s foul temper had soared. He knew _exactly_ what the hell Brendan was up to, and he despised the man greater and greater for it. Right in front of them both, his actions towards Dennis seemed to convey that all Dennis was for him was private property, nothing more, nothing less. It was subhuman and beyond deplorable, so much that Gavin wished for utter suffering and ignominy to visit Brendan for as long as he lived.

Nines however was able to appear calmer, and he wisely took to speaking with Dennis as much as he could while still studying Brendan’s behavior in the most subtle way. “Well, two years is pretty good!” he exclaimed in phony glee, “you guys must be happy!”

 _Far from it_ , Gavin mused, and Dennis appeared as though he had the same words dancing on the tip of his tongue.

With a small shrug, Dennis pushed out nonchalantly, “Locked in love, I guess, haha.”

Immediately, as he’d stated this, Gavin’s system picked up on an odd delivery of the word ‘lock’. The ‘ed’ part of the word had been emphasized way less, and the word ‘lock’ itself had been thrown out in less than a second. His system measured the words, and he knew that most people were able to speak at an average speed of four to five syllables per second. Most words themselves were two to three syllables long, resulting in the answer that the average person roughly could say approximately 100 – 130 words per minute.

Odd how Dennis’ delivery of ‘lock’ had been purposefully sped up, yet the rest of his sentence seemed…to drag on…

_Best keep an ear out on it._

“I see,” Nines orated pleasantly as he could, turning to offer a tiny smile at Brendan. The other man had been almost _too_ prepared and ‘rehearsed’ in terms of his body language. Spinning his neck to face Nines right on cue, it seemed as though he somehow already had practiced watching people and anticipating their reactions and next behaviors before even they themselves could act out.

Lips turning up in a smile, Nines sighed, “Brendan, what’re some of your plans with Dennis, then?”

Coldly, Brendan replied, “Just taking each day as we go, truthfully.” Swinging up his right leg to drape over the left knee, he chuckled, “Enough about us, though.” Nodding crudely at Nines, he inquired boldly, “You single, Detective Reed?”

Gasping, Dennis squealed far too quickly only one word. “Brendan!” Covering his mouth with a hand, he chuckled out uncomfortably, “That’s soooooo personal!”

“What?” Brendan snorted, “Just was curious.”

 _Yeah, so am I, but for different reasons, asshole._ Gavin pretended to laugh as well, but turned to Nines and nodded, indicating for him to continue.

When Nines looked lost, Dennis interrupted by again emphasizing and shooting out a word quicker than the rest in his sentence. “Up, up, up!” Motioning at the kitchen, he stated clearly, “You need another drink!”

Staring down at his cup, Nines gasped, “Oh, I do…ha, what do you know…” He held his cup out to Gavin, who only glared at it long enough until Nines awkwardly set it down into his lap.

Cooing over at Brendan in an obviously exaggerated display of love and affection, Dennis purred, “He’ll get it for you, don’t worry.”

Looking as though he wanted to do anything else aside from refilling Nines’ cup, Brendan’s lips pulled back, and he emitted a small growl. Swiping Nines’ cup off his lap boldly a moment later, he strode into the kitchen while Dennis laughed. “Yeah, yeah, I get it; ‘kill the music, Dennis’…’

Nodding, Brendan called out over his shoulder, “The TV gives me a fucking headache.”

Lowering the volume of the TV, Dennis propped his hands on his knees as he again took to asking a few questions from Nines. With a bit of an annoyed look in his eyes, he sighed, “Uh, you in a relationship?”

Nines took too long to answer, and Dennis grew bored immediately. “Ugh,” he bemoaned, “it’s not a tough question!! Yes, no, maybe so…” Pausing, he looked deeply into Gavin’s eyes as he again pressed out quickly, “Soon?”

Gavin’s eyes narrowed for a moment, and as he searched through Dennis’ depths, he faintly saw the young man blinking. It wasn’t a complete blink, nor was it a natural blink all humans did for both eyes. This was a ‘hidden code’ of sorts, as Dennis’ right eye almost blinked midway before he widened both eyes drastically.

_Fuck, he’s tryin’ to say somethin’ to me…shit…_

But what could it have been??

He unfortunately didn’t have time to ponder it; Brendan slammed Nines’ cup down onto the table under his nose as he grunted rudely, “There ya go.”

“Oh, thanks.” Nines accepted it, and as he cradled his drink against his chest almost like a child he’d been protecting and shielding, Brendan plopped himself down next to Dennis.

Silence stretched on for a moment, and with the TV almost muted, the raindrops blasting onto the roof and over the windows seemed as loud as bullets from a war pelting down around their safe haven. It didn’t do much to rattle Brendan and Dennis, and they sat together with dull expressions on their faces while Nines sipped and slurped his drink.

Gavin only winced as he thought to himself, _Christ, someone needs to teach him some fuckin’ manners…_

Suddenly, Brendan leaned over Dennis, and quite petulantly, he pressed his lips against his ear. He was whispering something, but he covered it up by draping and cupping a hand around his lips, shielding his words from Gavin’s audio receptors. Gavin only glared and threw a clearly red, unchanging LED light while Nines finished his drink.

Dennis finished listening to whatever the hell it was Brendan had whispered into his ear, and as he looked back and forth between Nines and Gavin, he scowled. A smirk toyed with the corners of his lips when he focused on Gavin, but when he turned to Nines in his human form, he clearly didn’t seem too thrilled. Brendan snickered and planted a tiny kiss onto his cheek, and Dennis huffed as he shook his head in dismay.

Curious to know what the fuck Brendan was snickering at, Gavin crudely asked, “Wanna share it with us?” Pointedly, he tossed out, “You know, since we’re _your_ guests and all?”

Nines nodded slowly, swishing whatever was left in his cup around, the ice cubes rattling lightly in an annoying way. Gavin’s arm darted out to the side, and he gently pried Nines’ cup out of his hand so he wouldn’t have to hear that stupid noise anymore. He was already pissed enough as it was, and Nines acting like an ignorant buffoon was driving him further up the walls than Spiderman on speed.

Clearing his throat abruptly, Dennis sat up as he quickly stated, “Ah, sorry about that! Brendan was just saying—”

Crudely, Brendan sat up as he interrupted his lover. “I just thought for a moment that sitting there in front of us, you and…umm…” Pausing, he snapped his fingers at Nines, who like a dog cocked his head in confusion.

“Hmm?”

Squinting, Brendan croaked, “Sorry, forgot your name for a sec.”

Rolling his eyes dramatically, Nines sighed in reply, “It’s detective Gavin Reed.”

The word ‘dumbass’ was heavily hanging in the air afterward, but more so in Gavin’s mind. He only threw a contemptible sneer at Brendan while Nines goaded him to continue.

“Anyway,” extending an arm, Nines urged, “what did you want to say again?”

Finally ceasing in his adversarial scowls when Dennis jammed his sharp elbow into his shoulder, Brendan tossed a coy smirk Nines’ way. Straightening his posture, he crossed his tattooed arms over his chest as he snickered tauntingly, “I was just about to say that for a while there, as you sat next to Lieutenant Nines, it seemed like you two would make a nice couple.”

Dennis’ entire face turned red, and Nines gaped like a fish freshly yanked out of water. Not at all sure what to respond to that with, he sputtered and fumbled for words like a blithering fool. Thankfully, Gavin wasn’t intimidated much by Brendan’s tactics, and he met the other man’s dark gaze with one of his own.

Eyes twinkling in a sinister way as much as Brendan’s happened to be, Gavin joked with an air of rage lurking between his words. “Yeah, I guess that _would_ be kinda interesting…only…” Pausing dramatically, he made sure that Brendan caught the wanton looks of desire he purposefully aimed directly at Dennis. If Brendan thought he was being a clever prick, then Gavin had a thing or two to teach him. He’d been doing this gig for _years,_ and Brendan was just a damn punk who needed to be put in his right place.

Licking his lips almost hungrily at Dennis, he concluded, “…It’s too bad I favor the fairer sex, huh?”

Dennis looked away, covering his mouth shyly. Somehow, Gavin was certain he caught his implications thoroughly. 

_Too bad._

“Yep,” he sighed almost dramatically never once taking his eyes off Dennis. “Too bad, indeed.”


	10. Tainted Reverie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do I write these lol This quarantine is doing something to me.

Gavin was up before five in the morning on Monday. Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to be bored out of his wits; Fowler had called him to work, and he would soon have a laundry list of things to do. Looking forward to it more than ever, Gavin quickly started getting ready for a shower while Nines caught some extra sleep down the hall.

It was still dark out, but thankfully, as he peered through the tiny bathroom window, it appeared that the rain had died down to a drizzle, luckily. Sadly, the rest of the afternoon forecast wasn’t looking too promising and bright. Oh well. He would make do.

Not worried much about the weather, Gavin stepped in the shower stall and closed the door tightly after himself. The old routine of just rinsing himself had gone on just the same as it would have if he were human, and he applied a bit of shampoo to his dark brown hair carefully. When the water trickled down to his genitals, however, that was when Gavin had to freeze for a moment.

Bracing his weight on an arm propped against the wall, he craned his neck down and glared at the damn _thing_ between his legs. This belonged to Nines, technically. It wasn’t his own, and Gavin hated it. He didn’t want to think about it and maximize the levels of his sheer frustration, but it was getting difficult to avoid, especially since he’d helped Nines experience his first orgasm as a human.

Gavin missed sex. He missed slipping inside the tight, wet channel of warmth a woman’s heat provided, and he missed doing it with his own cock. He’d tried ignoring the nagging, persisting feelings to the best of his abilities by finding other things to worry about, but realism struck him in the chest like a flash of lightning. Realistically, he couldn’t think about the infernal Walker case all day and night. He had to find other things to do, and sex had always been rewarding for him. He could take his mind easily off a nasty argument he’d have with Nines that way, he could forget about his mother or father nagging at him, begging him to come visit, and it was the cheapest, and best way to get back at a clingy ex for trying to weasel their way into his life. 

Well, it _had_ been. Had as in the past tense. Simply put, Gavin wasn’t going to head out and find a woman to sleep with while he was trapped and locked in Nines’ body. Sure, it could feel great, and due to how much of a smooth talker he’d always been, he could easily land a date. That wasn’t the issue, however. What bothered and singed Gavin to the core was the fact that he looked like Nines. As a man, his competitive instincts had already kicked in. Why should he head out and sleep with a woman as Nines, then??

If he did, it would only prove that the women were drawn and attracted to _Nines_. He didn’t need to have odd thoughts of competing with Nines’ stellar, good looks. Nines would never age as an android, yet he would as a human. Why volunteer for unnecessary headaches? And besides, how sad would it be for Nines to get pussy and Gavin not to? At least with his own, biological, God-given equipment?

Yes, waiting was a better option, but he also felt he had time to explore a little…why wait forever? There was no telling just how long they’d be stuck like this, and while Gavin had the advantage of time and privacy on his side, he wanted to see what Nines’ body was like.

Checking if the bathroom door was locked properly, when he deemed it was, Gavin leaned with his back beneath the spray of the water, and he glanced down at Nines’ cock. Yes, it was much, much larger than his own, he found. There was no helping that. Staring at it also didn’t seem to do much about the sad ordeal, which left Gavin feeling slightly agitated.

How was this supposed to work?

_Maybe I should touch it?_

Reaching down between his legs to do just that, when Gavin poked the penis, it didn’t even move. How strange! His own dick would be shooting up treacherously to the ceiling by now! Especially if he’d been celibate for this long!

Trying it again, he prodded and poked the android cock, reminding himself that this was all just for the sake of an experiment…yes…that’s all this was. Nothing odd or perverse was happening, here! It was all for the sake and purpose of conducting…research…

When nothing happened, Gavin palmed it a few times. Experimentally, he gave the penis a few small strokes. Still, no reaction had been coaxed out of it, so Gavin stroked it harder and longer. Moving from tip to base, he squeezed as best as he could in all the areas he knew he himself personally liked, but again, not even a twitch came from the cock.

Giving up, Gavin huffed as he leaned against the smooth shower wall and frowned down at the android cock that was clearly a burden for him, now. _Stubborn bastard,_ Gavin thought, _even Nines’ dick is as piggish as he is. Wow._

Fine. Maybe it was time to give up. Maybe the penis had won…for now.

With a wistful sigh, Gavin released his grip around the cock. Wanting to mock Nines while he could one more, however, Gavin pretentiously gripped the balls and tried imitating Michael Jackson’s ‘Moonwalk’. Suddenly, as he’d been dancing there in the shower, a few prompts in light blue colored font appeared before him.

**Hello! Welcome to CyberLife’s Sexual Simulator!**

**System Option Available: Sex-Masturbation scenarios taken from the most commonly searched sexual fantasies since 2038  
Select your fantasy! **

_What the fucking hell just happened…_

As though someone had turned on a perverted VR, a few options for various sexual scenes and fantasy preferences presented themselves like magic before Gavin.

**Option 1: Sex with male or female best friend from college**

_Nah, they were a nasty slut. Next!_

**Option 2: Caught having sex and playing dress up in DPD**

_…Tempting...if only there were an option to do it on Fowler’s desk._

**Option 3: Sex on the beach with three sexy blondes**

_I may come back to this, hang on._

**Option 4: Being spanked by ‘daddy’ while in a park leading to wild public sex**

… _Wait a minute…the hell is this offered for?_

**Option 5: Rape fantasy involving someone role-playing as David Beckham or Tom Brady leading to a DP melting. Includes ball gag and anal plug!**

Horrified, Gavin again checked that according to the sources, these top fantasy options had supposedly been drawn out of the ‘most searched sexual fantasies’ from the internet so far in the last year and half. Still, that didn’t make this any less disturbing.

**Option 6: Gang bang fantasy involving a few of your most desired skin walkers who take over the planet, exterminating all human life forms while leaving you alive so they can molest and probe you with their tentacles. Hentai porn leading to male pregnancy!**

_…What the fuck?!? How the fuck is this an option, and who the fuck is pickin’ to beat off to it?!?_

On second thought, Gavin didn’t want to know, and he hurried to make his decision. He knew exactly which one to go for out of the strange ‘list’. Fearful of checking the rest out, as they were getting worse and more and more risqué, he went for the most ‘normal’ one.

_Option trois!_

As the scene loaded, a bright, somnolent summer beach pulled Gavin in. The rays of the sun blasted into his eyes, and for a moment, he wondered how often Nines had exploited a feature like this. Truly, he was envious if the android had, but something in the back of his mind told him that it was highly unlikely that Nines ever used his own features and privileges for shit like this. That was a _human_ thing to do; not an android quality.

Well, Gavin wasn’t above doing such a thing. Smirking and drooling, he observed in plain desire and want as three voluptuous, busty blondes pranced around him while wearing only thongs. They giggled as they yanked down his shorts, took off his sunglasses, and playfully pushed him down onto an orange towel laying out for him on the warm sand. As soon as his back hit that white sand, Gavin was in heaven. He could even feel it as though it were happening, now!!

Dipping his fingers into the substance, he let it slide through his fingers just when the tallest of the women knelt before him and began sucking his cock hungrily. Skilled, she was, and he could’ve sworn he felt his dick tingling even though they’d just barely started.

_Wooooah! Shameless, I love it!_

Folding his hands behind his head, while her lips sucked and wrapped around him like a porn star’s, his mind slowly started wandering. Well. Whatever she was doing to him felt amazing. Gavin Reed wasn’t ever one to complain when receiving a blow job. Sure, her mouth felt great, it tightened around his dick in the best ways, and her tongue was damn filthy. The other women toyed with his nipples while fondling his balls, and it made him smile, but then his mind thought of something.

_This is heterosexual sex. I’ve had that many times in my life…but I wonder about what it is like whenever men have sex with other men…_

His thirium pump beat faster, but he didn’t realize it as he let his thoughts float far away from the beach and about a specific man.

_What about Dennis? How does he have sex?_

Wondering about it, truly, Gavin didn’t realize that he’d long forgotten about the woman’s lips in his VR fantasy, and had instead been imagining Dennis’ bright smile. Dennis had a wonderful mouth, and his lips looked better than a woman’s. Way too sexy for a man! How unfair!

_I wonder what he would do if I just…touched it?_

He’d be happy enough to have his hands on Dennis’ cock, as it would be more than he’d ever dared to dream of and allow himself to wantonly dream up. He’d already touched a few cocks now, but what about Dennis’? What about the taste of it, the feel of its heat?

_I wonder what he tastes like…I wonder if he would put my dick in his mouth, too?_

How would Dennis curl and cradle his tongue around Gavin’s length as it filled his mouth? Perhaps it would be a sensation Gavin would take to his grave. God, he wanted Dennis to right now be giving him his first blow job from another man! Gavin dove deeper and deeper into his own fantasies, drifting away from the realm of reality by pretending he could feel Dennis squirming beneath his palms.

Hips arching up, Gavin ignored the vibrant rays of the sun, and when he glanced down, he saw Dennis’ beautiful eyes and thick, long lashes staring at him. The youth pulled off Gavin’s shorts, resting just the tip of his tongue on his shaft, waiting. A moment passed, a moment in which his nostrils filled with the heady scent of Dennis’ strong musk, and Gavin thought he might just be in danger of some pre-maturity himself. He felt as though his body had spontaneously combusted. What was this feeling?!

Dennis appeared to be watching him intently, but shamelessly, his tongue lapped at precum Gavin didn’t even know had already dripped over. But it wasn’t at all embarrassing when Gavin’s fingers ran through Dennis’ scalp. He’d signaled the “all clear”, but he never took his eyes off the handsome young man. Beaming at him like a hungry siren, Dennis worked Gavin’s dick with a lick from base to tip. Boisterously, Gavin answered with a throaty gasp. Dennis sucked and slipped him back into his mouth.

While it was true that Gavin had never done this before with another man, this fueled his fantasies and made him rock hard between his legs instantly. His research had only described the techniques involved–techniques he’d naturally memorized–it was his imagination that had prepared him most for this very moment. He was elated that his theories and strategies–how Dennis would touch him, how he would draw him in and hold him there–had been more than mere fantasy material; they’d given him a road-map, a script; like rehearsing a scene at home before the real performance.

And perform he did.

He approached it the way he did any other performance at work, catching a perp, interrogating someone, testifying in court, anything! His go to method was to approach all tasks with focus and passion and, dare he say it, with real glee.

Imagination running wild, Gavin knew that Dennis in the flesh would be so much better than Dennis in the fantasy. Right about now, as he worked Gavin’s dick, his mouth was warm and soft in places, hot and so, so hard in others. Gavin hadn’t imagined the barely perceptible way his own leg would be jittering, like it wanted to tap dance or fly or something. This was the effect Dennis had on him! Shit, before he knew it, Gavin was struggling to keep it reigned in. What would he do if he lost it–that control? He also hadn’t factored in the noises he himself would be making; tiny little gasps when Dennis’ tongue traced the edges of his head, helpless moans when he drew first one, then the other sac into his mouth.

_More, more, mooooreee!_

Gavin kept one eye and one ear out for signs of impending combustion, but Dennis seemed to have gotten a handle on his timing issues. This realization was very gratifying indeed. Dennis had helped Gavin. He’d given him something he’d never had before; the best sensation of his entire life.

But he’d given himself so much more through this exchange, too…

Dennis was so attentive. He placed Gavin’s pleasure first. Though his hand had strayed to his own lap once or twice, he’d refrained from going any further. Maintaining an air of selflessness might pave the way to a repeat engagement. Right now, Gavin could tell that Dennis was enjoying himself. Gavin was as well, but he was probably too focused on the imaginary experience itself to remember he was having a gay one. Were Dennis to add his own…pleasure to the moment, were he to expose himself now, fuck…Gavin thought he wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Getting his sexuality rearranged might not be off the books just yet. Stranger shit had happened, after all.

He wanted to touch Dennis…just in the way he was touching him. Hands long enough to do the trick, Gavin worked Dennis’ warm cock and poured himself into giving Dennis exactly what he needed.

It wasn’t long before the jittering leg began to feel more like Gavin was preparing for takeoff. Dennis ventured a look up at his face–that had been what Gavin needed the whole time.

_Fuck, he’s beautiful._

Dennis was a work of art with his ruddy cheeks. They were flushed a deep rose color and his head was lolling back on his broad shoulders. Not at all able to control himself, Gavin felt impending release and a heck of a good orgasm on the way. Breath ragged, eyebrows pinched in a way that clearly signaled impending release, he was studying the young male before himself with heavy lust, absorbed in his own pleasure, pleasure that a _male_ , that Dennis was giving him.

If he could have done it without disrupting the vision before himself, and if only this weren’t a damn mental fantasy, Gavin would have fished out his iPhone and to capture the moment of his dick practically buried to the back of Dennis’ throat.

Instead, he pulled Dennis’ head closer, and Dennis pulled his cock deeper into his mouth. Gavin seemed more than pleased when Dennis’ knees buckled. If he wagered, the suscitating feeling the younger man experienced that was having the tip of his nose meet course pubic hair and soft skin definitely doubly pleased himself. It had to, especially given the sounds Dennis made when Gavin fucked deeper into his mouth. He didn’t have to be too gentle with a man, did he?

No. Seeing no reason to hold back any longer, he rammed his hips against Dennis’ face. In response, Dennis slipped both hands behind Gavin, cupping his ass cheeks, pressing him still closer. Desperately, Gavin was hoping Dennis hadn’t heard his soft moan at the sensation of his balls slapping against his chin. With a sudden helpless cry that Gavin felt as well as heard, he was coming hard; his whole body spasming now, hands at the back of Dennis’ head, fingers deep in his hair. Clutching and almost yanking on the beautiful blonde hair, Gavin bit down hard on the insides of his cheeks to hold himself back from choking Dennis.

_Fuuuck, he feels soooo good!_

Wildly pulling himself back so he could watch Dennis’ face as he came, Gavin’s right hand was jacking him off slowly as Dennis rode out his last wave. Gavin let out a deeply satiated sigh, as he was distantly aware that he’d somehow come again as well…as he did, images of Dennis wavered before becoming almost distant and pixilated.

_What the hell?_

Suddenly, Dennis was gone, leaving Gavin all alone on the beach. That, however, was slowly dissipating and floating away, too. The blondes were gone, the sun moved up further and further into the sky, moving out of his view. Before Gavin knew it, he’d been roused out of the fantasy, and back to the shower stall he’d spent almost half an hour in.

And then, suddenly, a shady figure in the distance approached him. Moving at inhuman speed, it practically teleported out of nowhere from the horizon to right before Gavin’s nose in an instant. Shaking painfully, Gavin willed himself to gain some control, blinking hard at the mysterious figure. Unfortunately, it wasn’t anyone he’d wanted to see…

It was Nines. The blasted RK900 stood back and grinned a malicious grin at him. In his own android body, he glanced down between Gavin’s legs, feasting his eyes on the arousal Gavin was persistently sporting throughout all of this. If anything, judging by the salaciously lewd look Nines was offering him, Gavin was certain that he—

Roaring mightily, he spilled one last time all over his own hand. When had he even been stroking himself this way? It felt as though his dick was going to fall right off, but his hand refused to stop! Up and down, up and down it flew the length of his shaft until he was completely spent. And Nines’ visage with that stupid grin etched onto his cold face was replaying over and over in his mind the entire time as he came…

**Thank you for taking a part in Sexual Fantasy Option 3! We truly hope your experience was enjoyable! If you can, please send a feedback survey report to us electronically rating how much you enjoyed the fantasy module! We would appreciate it!  
  
Sincerely,  
CyberLife!**

At once, Gavin stood tall as he screamed from the top of his lungs, “WHAT THE FUCK WAS ALL THAT SHIT?!?” He hadn’t even paid attention to the beautiful women in the fantasy module; he’d spent his entire time dreaming of getting head from Dennis, with an odd finisher from imagining Nines watching him!! What was wrong with him?!

With a groan, Gavin felt his dick tingling and twitching just at the memory of those alluring, sexy bright green eyes and that beautiful blonde hair as golden as the sun on the beach revealed Nines’ long, thin legs, his broad chest, long arms as he headed straight for Gavin while towering over him with a hungry look in his eyes…

Throwing his head back, he wailed like a tortured animal, “AAAARRRGH! WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING?!?”

Outside the bathroom door, Gavin suddenly heard Nines shouting back, “GAVIN! SHUT THE FUCK UP!!”

He was beyond furious, otherwise, he knew he would’ve flown out of the shower stall and beaten the daylight out of Nines.

**^^**

As soon as the heavy door to Fowler’s office banged shut, the large, burly man pointed a thick finger in Nines’ face. “Reports. Now.”

His sudden demand shocked Nines to his core. Blinking up at his boss, the android merely coughed in confusion, “Err, Captain? I thought Gavin sent them in?”

Fowler also fell into a mildly confused state, and he groaned as he threw his arms up in the air. Eyes cast at the ceiling, he cried in anguish, “Dear God, if you’re listening, this year, I only, _only_ want to stay out of the freakin’ nut house. Pleeeaaase!” Praying softly, he clasped his hands together tightly in a desperate move and plea while his eyes remained trained up at the ceiling steadfastly. “Please, that’ll serve as my Christmas, New Year’s, _and_ Birthday gift!!”

Nines frowned in displeasure, while Gavin only shook his head.

“Fowler,” Gavin started out in a dull bored sigh, “I’m still me, and Nines is still himself. Don’t get confused.”

Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say. Fowler glanced down at him as he snapped angrily, “You’ve gotten on my last nerve, Reed! I don’t need your smart mouth right now!” Fuming, he tried settling back on his desk, but due to wanting to remain ‘in charge’ and more ‘in control’, he didn’t check behind himself. Keeping his eye contact with Gavin resulted in Fowler miscalculating the distance between his own ass and the edge of the desk. He tried literally sitting down in midair, which was a rather epic failure on his part.

Gavin tried to hold it together when his boss tumbled down flat right on his ass, nearly causing his phone and a few of his loose sheets strewn on the surface of his desk to come flying down when he waved and flapped his arms in fear. When he crashed right at their feet, Gavin broke out in boorish laughter that seemed to never end, while Nines tried helping Fowler back up.

“Sir, are you alright?” Brushing off his clothes, Nines winced when Fowler shoved him away roughly with a deep growl.

Pointing at the chair he’d been sitting on previously, Fowler ordered in a deep bark, “Nines, sit your stupid ass down, _now_.” Not forgetting about Gavin, he delivered a brute kick aimed at the right leg of Gavin’s chair, but it didn’t do much aside from earn him a red LED light beaming at him while Gavin scowled heatedly.

Nodding curtly once he had Gavin’s attention, Fowler snapped viciously, “And _you_ , I’m glad you wiped that fucking smirk off your face-I mean, off Nines’ face, otherwise, I’d have wiped it off for you!”

Sputtering, Nines numbly hissed, “But…th-that’s my face…you—” A single warning glare from his superior shut him up, and he craned his head down in an obvious display of submission.

Clearing his throat, Fowler finally was able to successfully lean against the edge of his oak desk, though he had to check the solid object a few times with his hands, as though testing its legitimacy. When he was content that it wasn’t going to shift away from him, he rubbed his chin a few times back and forth before lowering his head and emitting a most exhausted sigh. To hear it emitted with such force that way did instill troublesome musings for Gavin, though marginally. He _did_ empathize with his boss, but not to the extent where he would sacrifice his ‘trolling’ and fun and games. Fuck that. He was already unpaid as it was.

Instead of slowing down with his attitude and easing off his perturbed boss, Gavin felt even more cross with Fowler when he remembered the case and all its mysteries. No time like the present to ask Fowler about it, he supposed. Plus, Fowler wouldn’t get away with lying to him!

“Sir?” Gavin began, trying to stay focused, but also polite enough to get what he wanted easier as opposed to picking up a fight with an already fed-up Jeffrey Fowler.

Unfortunately, Fowler seemed to have picked up on the change in Gavin’s approach, and he narrowed his eyes dangerously in a minor warning at his employee. Snapping his fingers at Gavin, right above his nose as if he were a pet misbehaving, he growled. “Reed, you better quit right now while you’re ahead.”

When he gave out another loud snap, Gavin rolled his eyes in exhaustion. “I’m not a dog, sir,” he chuckled as he pointed at Nines with his thumb. “I believe _that one’s_ the bitch.” Before he could chortle heartily at his own dumb joke, Fowler kicked at his chair again.

“Reed, I know you’ve got something to tell me, otherwise you wouldn’t be all nice to me out of nowhere.” Curtly, he nodded at Gavin as he elucidated smoothly, “Go on and ask your questions, before I lose whatever is left of my temper.”

Catching on a little too late to Gavin’s previous insult in an implication, Nines suddenly roared vehemently, “Hey! Don’t call me a bitch, you bitch!!”

Both Captain Fowler and Gavin froze for a moment before throwing icy glares at Nines. This served well as far as getting Nines to remain silent again. He hung his head low, and dejectedly, he murmured, “I apologize for that outburst.”

Nodding plaintively, Fowler grumbled, “Damn right you fucking do.”

Gavin rolled his eyes as he sniped bitterly, “Sir, just tell me why.”

The question had been too random, yet heavily predictable. As though he’d anticipated it far ahead of time, Captain Fowler rolled up his white dress shirt sleeves as he exposed his long arms. Draping them over his chest, his forehead lines and wrinkles became more and more prominent the more he scowled down at his black dress shoes. It appeared as though he was fishing for words, but what exactly those words were, Gavin wasn’t able to predict. The only thing he was certain of was that he didn’t enjoy at all how cryptic and odd this Walker case was. It was unfair.

Scoffing, he threw out impatiently, “Wow. So you’re just gonna be like that, eh Jeffrey?”

“Gavin,” Fowler began in a deep drawl, but the android detective didn’t want to hear it.

Holding up a hand, he cried out ferociously, “Askin’ us to go into this completely blind is a bit…” Shifting, he stared at Nines, as though to ask his work partner to help him out with some words to throw in. Nines only gaped dumbly, so Gavin abandoned that hope.

“I don’t know, sir,” he bit out coldly. “This seems unfair, and I’d like to know what exactly is going on, here.” It seemed fair enough, otherwise, how the hell else were they expected to proceed??

Not one to give in easily, Fowler only growled in a warning before he threw out harshly, “I don’t want to hear such a stupid request.” Straightening up, he snapped, “I’m the one who has his name on a golden plaque here on this office door, right?” Gesturing back at his various degrees and certificates, as though to boast and show off, he sneered as he crowed with pride, “I’m the one leading this shit, Reed! If I say you don’t need to know anymore about this case, then you best open up your damn android ears and listen!!”

Timidly, Nines corrected in a soft voice, “Umm, technically, that would be audio-receptors, Captain.”

Fowler only scowled, and Nines looked in the opposite direction, cheeks burning.

Not ready to ease off him just yet, Fowler snickered maliciously as his eyes studied the large scab over Nines’ jaw and cheek. Sauntering over to him, Fowler trailed the tips of a few fingers over the scab, relishing in sheer delight when Nines winced and drew away with a tiny hiss of discomfort.

Eyebrows rising on his brow ridge, Fowler sighed softly. “I need you _both_ to trust in my decision-making skills right now.” Pushing his large hands deeply into his pockets, he made sure to toss out a rather pointed scowl at Gavin, as if daring him to make one false move.

The errant detective bit back on his obstinate rebuttal. He knew he wouldn’t get anywhere this way, so he instead proved he could be somewhat obedible for the moment, all while seething internally and cursing Fowler to hell and back many, many times.

Nines pavidly muttered, “If we went into this case without knowing the details, our investigation methods wouldn’t be as effective, right?”

“Correct.” Fowler added on, “Look, I know I said earlier that this is an open and shut case, but as it turns out, it’s not.” He ignored when Gavin whispered something that sounded a lot like ‘no shit’ under his breath and instead continued while mostly addressing Nines only.

Holding out his hands and waving them down at the floor, he orated calmly, “Just do your jobs, but keep your eyes and ears open for anything. All will be revealed soon, but yes, Nines, you were right; if I sent you both into the Walker case with more of a plan or an agenda, Mr. Walker would’ve sniffed it out faster than smelling a fart in an elevator.”

Gavin only scoffed bitterly, “Give me a fuckin’ break.”

Turning on him in a fit of obvious rage he’d been trying to hold back on, Fowler clipped out impatiently between clenched teeth, “This _is_ your damn break, Reed!! Appreciate what I’m going through for your sorry ass, for once, else I’ll break your neck!!”

_Ooooh! Big man makin’ big threats, huh?_

Thankfully, in spite of how much he’d wanted to throw that out and toy with his boss, Gavin decided to just remain silent. His morning had already been a bit odd, and he didn’t need someone nagging in his ear all day long to add on to the insurmountable unpleasantness.

Humming when the office had gone quiet for a few minutes, Fowler inquired curiously, “How are things between you two, by the way?”

Nines choked on his tongue, and Gavin right away recalled the last awkward encounter he’d shared with Nines. Cursing his lewd, disgusting mind for wandering deeply into the gutter as it often did, he chose his words carefully and took his time in spite of how mollified he happened to be with everything.

“Listen, sir, we—”

“Yeah, yeah, Reed,” Fowler interrupted rudely, “getting all cozy with each other, are we?”

Blanching, Nines retaliated strongly, “No! Are you kidding me?!? Gavin’s just as annoying now that we’re living together as much as he is at work!”

His shrill shrieking wasn’t taken too seriously and deeply by Captain Fowler. Scratching at a particularly sensitive, itchy spot behind his left ear, the thick man sighed in emptiness, “That’s nice, Nines.” Scanning and staring at his hands for a moment, Fowler time his time as far as increasing the tension and anxiety levels in the room could go before he grunted, “Say, Reed, a little birdie also told me that you’re getting rather chatty with Dennis Spielman, is that true?”

Immediately suspecting Nines, Gavin threw out snobbishly, “Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t, what’s it to you anyway?”

Nines and Captain Fowler exchanged bizarrely confused looks. Appearing as though he’d been punched in the gut, Fowler cleared his throat, blinked a few times, and then rubbed his face as if just waking up from a dream.

Pinching himself on his forearm, he gasped, “Shit, guess I’m awake after all, eh Nines?”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Jeffrey!” Gavin roared for a second, then peeked out the office windows as he wondered whether his emotional outburst caught any unwanted attention. Life seemed to go on normally and blandly outside in the DPD bullpen, however.

What a relief.

Eyes beady and squinting with derision and disgust reserved for Gavin especially, Fowler groused thickly, “Yeah, I thought I was dreaming, because there’s just _no_ fuckin’ way on this green earth that Gavin Reed would talk back to me, _especially_ after all the times he’s been warned against it.”

Shrugging, Gavin threw out, “I _was_ talking back to you.”

Jaw hanging open, Fowler hissed, “You’re talking back to me now, then??”

“Umm…yeah, that’s usually how a fuckin’ conversation works, sir.”

Snarling like a beast unleashed and ready to sink its claws and teeth into fresh meat, Fowler growled, “Reed, I’m warning you for the last damn time; _don’t_ fuck up this case. Stay away from Dennis and do your damn job! Do you hear me, Reed?!”

Resisting the urge to snap back with something smarmy and witty, Gavin only saluted using his middle finger.

Clearly, that was the wrong choice. Fowler moved closer to him, scowl bearing down on him like a guillotine. His eyes shone with hatred and disappointment, but shockingly, he kept it together. Irritably, he softly growled, “I said, do you hear me, Reed? Or is there a fuckin’ problem, here?”

Nines pleaded and begged for Gavin to just say ‘yes’. Waving his arms while Fowler’s back was turned to him, he tried whatever he could to get the sour detective’s attention, but Gavin paid him no mind. Folding his hands in his lap and offering Fowler a phony, but pleasant smile, he beamed brightly at his boss as though he had no worries and cares in the world.

When icy quiet had covered every inch of the room unjustly, Gavin finally answered, “My methods of obtaining info may never be easy for you to get, sir, but I’m gonna need you to let me do my job…” Fiendishly, he snickered, “I mean…you _did_ just say you wanted me to do my damn job, right sir?”

Shaking his head back and forth slowly while Gavin’s eyebrows soared on his forehead as he blinked innocently, Fowler muttered more to himself, “Do your job professionally, Reed. You are _not_ supposed to get involved with victims and suspects…” A cloud formed in his eyes, almost akin to a dangerous promise or warning. It wasn’t a look Gavin was accustomed to receiving often, but whenever he had, he knew that it was Fowler’s way of meaning business without bullshit getting in the way.

Approaching Gavin slowly until they were almost half an inch apart, Fowler stuffed his large hands deep in his dress pants pockets, chest and shoulders panning out. A look of utter contempt grew over his face as he sneered down at Gavin with all the might in the world backing his words up.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know that, Gavin.”

A sound of thunder booming emanated from within Gavin’s mind. It channeled and tore through him in waves, tossing and churning about. Like bile rising in his throat, his anger had solidified significantly. Being a detective for as long as he had, he knew for certain that there was only one way Fowler had arrived at this hunch.

Someone had to have told him about his communication and exchanges with Dennis.

And just who happened to be that special ‘someone’? Gavin had his own clue as to the identity of this little ‘birdie’ Fowler spoke of earlier.

A single menacing glare thrown in Nines’ direction by Gavin was enough to nearly send the android bolting from his chair and out the door of the office in a jiffy. Why, Gavin had hardly even seen him move that quickly before. In fact, he could say it truly was a first.

**^^**

The men’s washroom door banged open as Nines and Gavin ran in. Hot on Nines’ trail, Gavin waited patiently until a few other officers exited from the bathroom before he unleashed his raw fury onto Nines. The android was standing and then pacing by the sinks, running his fingers through his dark brown hair. Panting softly, while he paced back and forth, Gavin’s hatred and vitriol grew within himself the longer he gazed at the mirrors and saw his own reflection as Gavin Reed-the human-pacing about.

Tenaciously, he clipped out, “Good work back there on ratting me out to Fowler, by the way.” Clapping harshly to mock and jab at an already disturbed Nines, he added cruelly, “Did you send him anything else I should know about? Or am I going to be surprised down the road??”

Spinning around to face him swiftly, Nines cried out vehemently, “I didn’t tell him anything!!”

“Unless you wanted to piss me off,” Gavin threw back with a dull expression that didn’t portray anything for the moment. Staring Nines up and down dressed in _his_ clothes, he nearly exploded. Thank goodness for all his anger management classes, however. This could’ve all turned out uglier than it already was.

With pleading eyes, Nines gently stated, “Reed, come on! I swear, I haven’t said a word to Captain Fowler!!” Sputtering and trying to pick his words carefully, Nines protested with an air of desperation, “I swear! Why would I do that??”

“Because you always wanted me out of here, Nines!” Gavin rebuked viciously, holding back on unleashing a few punches to Nines. He didn’t need to look like the all-star dumbass of the DPD who couldn’t control his anger, but also wasn’t able to hold back from having a fight.

…Well, it would technically be _Nines_ in the eyes of their uninformed colleagues beating the shit out of Gavin Reed…would it work, though? Could he go for it?

….

No. Nines was, after all, fucking _perfect_. The goody-two-shoes hardly ever got in fights and arguments. No, that was Gavin Reed, the petty man-child. Though he wanted to tarnish Nines’ reputation and name in the DPD by punching his face in a few times, Gavin decided to take a personal rain check on that for another time. Hopefully, there _would_ come ‘another time’, after all…

_Patience is apparently a fuckin’ virtue and all…_

“Reed, as far as I’m concerned, you’ve already taken it upon yourself to work this case in whichever way you want.” Nines’ voice interrupted Gavin’s pleasant thoughts and scene playing out in which he was running the annoying RK900 over with a tractor all day long while his friends and co-workers cheered him on and celebrated.

So pleasant…

“Reed?”

“Hmm?”

Shaking him gently, Nines got awfully close in his face as he peeked up into Gavin’s eyes, and then focused on his LED light. As he kept his eyes trained and stuck to the damn thing, Gavin could’ve sworn he felt the infernal part singing and burning with some kind of bizarre pain.

Covering it up with one hand, with the other, he gently pushed Nines away from himself. Now, it was his turn to venture up to the sinks and mirror. Glaring once at himself as Nines within the glass, Gavin sighed softly. Though there was no need for it, Gavin turned on the water, and he washed his hands thoroughly. For one reason or another, though he knew he never would be able to identify and comprehend the reason itself, he knew he just wanted to wash his hands. He felt so…filthy and sullied, especially when he recalled the way in which Fowler had glared at him in a most accusatory way, all while proclaiming he was well aware of Gavin consorting with Dennis…

Face scrunching up in a blatant moue of disgust with himself, Gavin thought, _And it wasn’t too long ago that I had a sick, sexual fantasy about Dennis, all while beating off to it…_

He needed help; he was losing his damn mind.

Bending over the sink, Gavin hurriedly applied soap to not only his hands, but to his lips. He’d never done that before, but he knew he wanted to wash every inch of his skin to the bone. As a young child, his father and mother had always warned him that if he didn’t quit swearing and abusing curse words, they would forcefully wash his mouth and tongue with soap. Now, as an adult, he was doing just that, only for reasons entirely different than the ones his parents had always bitched about.

Eyeing him in confusion, Nines was careful and wise enough not to approach, for if he had, Gavin would’ve lost it and lashed out in a way he would only end up regretting later.

Listening to the sound of running water appeared to soothe and calm both men. Gavin felt his thirium pump regulating, and Nines placed a hand right over his softly thrumming human heart. Visibly shaken to a minor degree, Nines turned away from the mirror and gently gnawed on his lower lip. Only ceasing when he felt a sharp burst of sudden pain, followed by the scent of copper rising in the air, he dabbed a few fingers at the area which burned the most.

Fingers drawing away once they were coated in a warm substance, Nines knew it was blood without even having to look at it. He still did, however, and was truly mesmerized with how the blood shined and beamed brightly at him. It wasn’t anything even remotely close to how he’d seen it appear on humans when they were grievously injured before. No, this was somehow…exhilarating…and oh so beautiful…and it was happening to _him._

Unable to tear his eyes off the ruby liquid coating his fingers, Nines whispered in awe, “You forget that I was there too…right in the center of Walker’s apartment.”

Shutting off the water, Gavin spit out the soap as best as he could. Though he was much too eager to give in to the whims of his argumentative and competitive nature, the tip of his tongue was a huge distraction. He’d totally forgotten that androids used their tongues to sample things in real-time. Now, he was practically having hot flashes of information flooding and pouring in following the soap. Surely, he was going to fucking burst…

Not yet through with his words, Nines finally stopped gaping at the blood. Clenching his fist tightly, he made sure to spread the ruby essence all over the palm of his hand while hissing forth with venom at Gavin. “Reed, believe it or not, but we _both_ are in deep trouble, here. We both have a lot to lose.”

Shifting his way in front of Gavin while the man wiped his hands with a clean towel, Nines couldn’t meet his eyes. “You can choose to work with, or against me, Reed. One of these options ends miserably, I can tell you that much.” Pointedly, he inhaled sharply and deeply before concluding, “The choice is yours; the path is yours to take.”

Throwing the soaked towel into a small rack for the used ones, Gavin straightened himself, brushed his clothes off sleekly, and sniffed once as he pushed back Nines’ stray bang that always fell down annoying in his face. If he could have it his own way, he would cut the stupid hair strand clean off, but he didn’t want Nines pitching an even bigger hissy fit.

Instead, he opted to remain cold, detached, and bitter. With much righteous indignation, Gavin raised his head, jutted his chin forth, and brushed past Nines. On the way out of the washroom, he rammed into the android’s shoulder roughly, sending him stumbling back marginally.

Oh, how he wished he could slam the door on Nines’ stupid face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter yet, I think.


	11. Across the Square

“REED! GET YOUR COWARD ASS OVER HERE, NOW!!”

Nines glanced up, mouth full of delicious bagels and cookies. The crumbs still clung to his light facial stubble, but in the midst of enjoying his scrumptious meal, he hadn’t thought to wipe his face. As he’d been peacefully enjoying shoving his face halfway inside a donut and cookie box in the Break Room, Tina Chen, Ben Collins, as well as officer Chris Miller had followed him in. They were chattier than ever, and for a moment, Nines nearly had asked them to leave him alone kindly. Thankfully, his foresight kicked in at the very last minute, and he remembered that they were trying to talk to _Gavin Reed_. Since he looked like the damn human, they were going to associate with him and seek him out importunately because they thought everything was fine. He had no choice but to put up with them, but the donuts and desserts helped.

Propping a hand beneath her chin and observing him scarf down the meal, a highly amused Tina Chen snickered while she reached out and brushed a few crumbs from Nines’ chin. “Holy shit, Reed,” she giggled almost bashfully, “don’t give yourself a heart attack!!”

Initially shrugging that warning off, Nines only grunted, “This is great, keep it coming! I want to eat everything!!”

Gaping at how quickly he tossed the empty box of donuts to the side before making his way onto tarts and cake, Ben wheezed to his comrades, “Damn! Gavin’s going to eat us all out of the DPD if we don’t stop him!!”

Slowing down his devouring of the food, Nines had wanted to respond to his ‘friends’-especially Tina-gently in the way of asking her to refrain from touching him so intimately, when a booming voice blasted through the bullpen and slammed into the Break Room.

Hank Anderson was livid. A very serious man meaning very serious business, the promise of swift death wafted about him as he panned his shoulders out broadly and charged ferociously at ‘Gavin’. No doubt meaning to be highly intimidating, he snarled and roared, ignoring Tina and Ben while they gaped at him and tried to stop him in his tracks.

 _Oh crap,_ Nines thought, _he thinks I’m Gavin, and he’s angry as all hell._

Wondering just what the hell Gavin had done yet again to piss off Lieutenant Anderson in such a volcanic way, Nines swallowed as he tried collecting himself and behaving much like Gavin Reed would. Now wasn’t the time to falter and slip. They couldn’t afford it, especially right now when the Walker case was growing more and more tumultuous by the minute.

Brain already supporting scattered, disorganized thoughts, Nines fumbled around for words and phrases to throw out when Hank got right in his face and slammed both of his large hands on the small, round table. A few of the strawberry tarts nearly fell off the tiny plate supporting them, and it pissed Nines right off.

Frowning as deeply as Hank was, he imitated Gavin’s voice as much as he could, not wanting to sound strange. “The fuck do you want, Hank?”

_Off to a great start, I hope…_

Their spectators gaped back and forth between them, with Ben whispering something to Tina quickly as Chris Miller shook his head in despair at the childlike display.

Eyes widening, Hank blinked dramatically, tilting his head as he snarled loudly, “Ooooh! You have the nerve to ask _me_?!?” Wiping his hands across his shirt, Hank groused, “What fuckin’ temerity and gigantic balls you must have, Reed!”

Nines suddenly blushed the moment the word ‘balls’ flew from Hank’s lips. He couldn’t get a grip over his filthy mind, and without the slightest bit of control exerted, he thought back to how he’d literally touched and fondled Gavin’s balls during their masturbation session. It felt…so strange, suddenly…

Noticing his pause, Hank’s confidence flared right up. “Ha! No smart-ass words for me now, huh Reed?” Huffing, he puffed out his chest as he crowed, “Thought so.”

Feeling enraged, Nines managed to keep his composure when Tina gently shook him by the arm. Staring past Hank’s head, he grumbled, “What do you want, Hank?”

“I told you a few times already, but seein’ as how you want to play deaf and dumb, I’ll repeat it again for ya!” Leaning into him, Hank spat word for word clearly, “Give. Me. My. Damn. Underwear.”

Nearly choking on laughter that threatened to fly out of his mouth, Chris clamped a hand over his lips tightly. Ben facepalmed, and Tina rolled her eyes as she whispered wistfully: ‘Men.’

Still serious as ever, Hank glared at Chris, already having heard his subdued sniggering. “Somethin’ funny to you, Miller?”

Holding up his hands as though held at gunpoint, Chris cleared his throat as he answered sheepishly, “Uh…no, Lieutenant! Not at all!!”

Shoving his hand under Nines’ nose, Hank hissed viciously, “Give it back, and I want you to leave me the fuck alone, Reed! I’m tired of your stupid games!”

Confused as ever, Nines weakly rasped, “Games? What games??”

Throwing his head back and emitting a tiny bark of a dry laugh, Hank roared, “Ooh, I should’ve known you’d keep on playing the innocent little victim.” Rubbing his face rather gruffly, he shook his head as he continued. “Reed. I know you’ve always hated me. I get it. But you’re taking this way too far, don’t you think?”

“I don’t follow—”

Jabbing a finger into his chest like a knife, Hank spat with poison lacing every word. “You’ve been fuckin’ around on my computer, and if you dare deny it or lie to me, I swear, I’ll make you regret it for the rest of your shithead life, Reed.”

Nines nearly crumbled to the floor. It was highly obvious that Gavin had somehow messed around and exploited his android powers to accomplish the very thing Hank was accusing him of doing. Hating that he had to be the one receiving such threats and harsh words from his co-worker, Nines didn’t know what to say. As he stood rooted on the spot, weighing his options back and forth, Nines chose to remain firm and deny his involvement with anything Gavin had been responsible for doing. Telling the truth had always provided him with better results, and he didn’t want Hank to start a war with him in the middle of the other pressures he was facing and struggling through. Either way he looked at it, Hank wasn’t going to believe him. If he admitted to doing it, Hank would likely exaggerate it and spiral out of control in rage. But if he also claimed he hadn’t been responsible for all his heinous actions, Hank would _still_ fly off the handle anyway.

He was stuck like a pig in a muddy quagmire, and slowly sinking deeper and deeper.

_I swear, if I EVER see Gavin today, I’ll be the one slaughtering him!_

Adamant that he hadn’t done a single thing wrong, Nines argued strongly, “Hank! Calm down! Whatever has happened, I’m sure there’s a reasonable way to explain this!!”

These words earned him a few odd glances from Chris, Ben, and Tina. Knowing why, Nines nearly slapped himself across the face.

_Crap! That was a ME thing to say; not a Gavin Reed thing to say!_

He couldn’t think when he was under stress this way, but that had been the way Lieutenant Hank Anderson often caught someone. He’d seen it done many times, and he couldn’t fathom how and why he’d fallen into that trap.

Enjoying that he’d cornered ‘Gavin’, Hank chuckled as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Gotcha right where I want ya, Reed,” came his disgusted snarl. “Why don’t you just come clean, for once in your damn life. Act your own fuckin’ age.”

Waiting in anticipation for what ‘Gavin’ was going to do next to defend himself, the spectators remained silent. It grew to be too grating for Nines, and he wanted nothing more than to flee, though not as a coward; he longed to locate Gavin, wrap his hands around his throat, and suffocate him to death.

This was all his fault.

However, before either Hank or Nines could say or do a single thing, Hank suddenly barreled forth into the table. His ribs crashed into the surface of the solid object, and he groaned in pain as he cradled and clutched at his stomach. Whirling around as soon as he regained some stamina, he inhaled brokenly before wheezing, “Nines?! The fuck?!”

Everyone in the Break Room stared next to Hank, and ‘Nines’ stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Appearing innocent and ‘clueless’, his LED light spun to blue before he blinked and studied Hank for a moment.

“Oops, I apologize for that, Lieutenant,” Gavin spoke out with a hint of amusement dancing along his words, but only Nines had been able to detect them.

Wandering around the table, Gavin softly added, “Guess I didn’t see you there, but I must admit, you _were_ technically in my way…”

Rubbing his stomach and chest, Hank groused, “I was talkin’ to Reed, Nines. Stay out of it until I’m through, here!”

Cocking his head back and forth like a curious puppy, Gavin inquired gently, “Oh? Whatever is the matter, then?”

Nines wanted to run over to Gavin and knock the LED light off his temple. He despised this stupid ‘innocent act’ Gavin was playing with. He knew very damn well what the hell the issue was, here, and yet he chose to have the gall and pomposity to play the ignorant card?

Wow.

Not ceasing his rubbing, Hank bemoaned wearily, “It’s not your business, Nines! Just go away for now, but you should really know that your buddy here is a reeeeaaaal fuckin’ menace.”

Ben and Chris wrapped their arms about Hank, pulling and prying him away from ‘Gavin’. They asked if he was alright in hushed tones, while Tina scoffed and slipped off her stool. She followed them out the Break Room, but as she did, she turned and peered over her shoulder angrily at ‘Gavin’.

“You’re a real piece of work, Reed,” she complained in a snarky manner. Eyes beady and narrowed, she scoffed before leaving Gavin and Nines alone.

As Hank’s dramatic voice and protestations could still be heard outside in the bullpen, Gavin turned to Nines and unfolded his hands from his back. Slouching, he smirked as he whispered, “Finally. Thought they would never leave!”

Rolling his eyes at him, Nines answered back, “You should really listen to Tina, you know.”

“Nah, I’m good,” Gavin threw out like a child, “and besides, you’ve noooo idea how tough and annoying it is bein’ you.”

“Right back at you,” Nines acerbically jabbed, turning away from facing Gavin. Sitting back down on his stool, he paused as he eyed his donuts and tarts on the dirty floor. They weren’t edible, now. Thank you, Hank Anderson…

Collecting them from the floor, he threw them into the garbage can while Gavin rocked back and forth on his feet. Smirking, he began, “So! Been lookin’ everywhere for ya. We need to talk, Nines.”

_Oh boy, do we ever._

Wiping his hands with a napkin, Nines ground out cautiously, “I’ll say, but first, you need to tell me what you’ve done to piss Hank off, Reed.”

Not at all agreeable, Gavin mocked in resentment, “Nothin’. Not my fault if the old fucker doesn’t have a good sense of humor.” As though bored of the topic already, he rolled his eyes, glanced up at the ceiling, and feigned a yawn.

“Reed,” Nines warned, already on his last bit of patience for the day. “Knock it off and just—”

“Okay, okay,” Gavin sighed. “I just hacked into his computer and I _may_ have sent him a few sexy videos! Not a crime!!”

Closing his eyes tightly and counting to three didn’t even seem to help. Praying he could be calm enough to get through this in one piece with his sanity still intact, Nines growled under his labored breath, “How thoughtful of you.”

Nodding, Gavin cheerfully sang out, “Right? I bet he’s been lonely ever since his old lady walked out on him, and I was just tryin’ to do him a favor, Nines!”

There was only silence, forcing Gavin to expound awkwardly, “Use it or lose it?”

Sarcastically, Nines smiled. “Oh, yes, you’re a god damn activist as far as Hank’s sexual needs are concerned.” Disgusted with his own words and their implications, he groaned as he threw his crumb-covered plate into the kitchen sink and moved past Gavin.

Sputtering after him, the android detective called at his back, “H-hey! Where’re you goin’? I said we needed to talk!!”

“I need a fucking cigarette,” Nines all but groaned, marching off to Gavin’s desk where he knew a fresh stash of his new addictions lay hidden. Slowly, he was starting to notice and realize why humans smoked such filthy things to begin with.

Huffing with attitude, Gavin moodily insulted back, “Yeah, I bet you fuckin’ do!”

Nines had no regrets at all as he raised his right hand and flipped Gavin off, same way the brat of a detective had done to him so callously in the last two years they’d been working together.

**^^**

Gavin was in a worse mood now that Nines had not only shown him attitude, but had obviously rejected his request to talk. Who the hell else was he supposed to turn to for these matters, anyway?? Didn’t the stupid machine realize that they were stuck in this shitty mess together?? Nines was all he had, and he was all Nines had!! Anything he was concerned or worried about, Gavin felt like turning to Nines for some advice and aid, yet he’d been rejected and denied.

Figures that Nines would _always_ be a bitchy cock, even as a ‘human’. It was in his damn nature, written into his system and composed perfectly like carvings engraved in fucking stone. To expect anything else from Nines would be as fruitful as picking a fight with a mailbox.

Stupid.

With very little left to do in the DPD, now, Gavin decided to head on home, without Nines. Not even bothering to communicate to his pathetic excuse for a ‘partner’ as to where he was headed, he simply got in his car and drove on silently. Slipping into his increasingly maddening thoughts, Gavin only realized he’d driven past his apartment when the bright, flashing sign of a Starbucks that was still open this late in the evening caught his attention.

Parking his vehicle quickly, Gavin nearly tumbled out of the car, eager for a steaming hot cup of dark roast coffee, when he suddenly remembered that he was trapped as a god damn android. Androids didn’t need coffee…

Throwing his head back at the sky, Gavin wailed messily, “FUCKING HELL!!”

“Woah! Calm down, Lieutenant!”

An unmistakably familiar voice called out to him, and that captured his sorrow and misery far more than not having a damn cup of coffee did. Gavin knew that voice even without looking at the person standing not too far away from himself.

“Dennis?” Gazing straight ahead, Gavin resisted the urge to turn back to his car and drive off in a flash. Dennis Spielman was rather close to him, and he was holding a few bags of groceries over his arms and shoulders.

Smiling slowly, Dennis shifted, and his motions caused the bags to rustle in the slight breeze. Brushing his hair back, his dark sunglasses sitting atop his head gleamed almost in a daunting manner at Gavin. Chuckling, Dennis spoke out, “What’re you up to aside from screaming at the sky in the middle of a coffee shop’s parking lot?”

_I should be asking YOU that…minus the screaming part, obviously._

As rude as his instinctive thoughts and natural inclinations were, Gavin as Lieutenant Nines remained polite and professional. “Well, I was just stopping by to grab some coffee for my partner.” It seemed logical and reasonable enough, and Dennis appeared to believe it.

Smiling as he nodded energetically, he exclaimed, “I see. But can’t he get it himself?”

_…Yeah, he’s a lazy shit, I agree._

“No, he’s kinda busy, so he got me to—”

“Do the dirty work,” came Dennis’ snarky interruption, followed by a tiny wink. “I know how that goes.”

Gesturing at the bags of purchased goods, Gavin scanned them in a second before noticing they consisted of bread, eggs, a carton of milk, deodorant, shampoo, razors, as well as a package of condoms…

Clearing his throat, he proclaimed, “Guess I’m not the only one runnin’ around as a collector, huh?”

Catching on swiftly to his implications, Dennis grinned slyly. “Just doing my regular shopping, Lieutenant! Brendan’s working early tonight in the club, so like a good little housewife, I’m getting my chores done!”

Not sharing in the minor joke, Gavin awkwardly sighed, “Well, that’s great, Dennis, but I have to get goin’, now.” Foolishly, he turned back to the car, unlocking the driver’s door, when Dennis approached carefully.

“Umm, sorry for being a bit of a nosy guy here,” he began gently, “but didn’t you say you were here to get coffee for your partner?”

.…

_…I fucking SUCK as a detective sometimes._

Mentally berating himself for his bumble, Gavin smiled painfully. “Oh yeah! Shit!” Slapping himself in the forehead, he laughed loudly, “Guess I do!!”

Eyebrows raised almost suggestively, Dennis looped an arm around Gavin’s as he tugged him towards the entrance of the coffee shop. “Why not buy me a cup while you’re at it then, Lieutenant?” Purring, he gleefully elucidated, “Next time will be my treat, don’t worry.”

At first, Gavin quite vehemently wanted to refuse, pry his arm away from Dennis’ warm limb, and head back to his car, no matter how stupid it would look. But when Dennis’ heat seeped in through his dark shirt, he gave in immediately. It would be a good time to sit down without Nines and Brendan interfering, and he felt he could perhaps work the case a bit more and obtain information in his own subtle way. Without anyone breathing down his neck, he could apply his investigative methods more thoroughly. Why the hell not take advantage of this rare opportunity?

With an affirmative nod, he allowed Dennis to boldly lead him through the parking lot.

As they weaved their way between a few more cars parked close to the front of the shop, due to Gavin’s persistent silence, Dennis paused, leaned into his face, and beamed brightly. Gavin frowned at him for it, but had to snap out of it when Dennis inquired, “Okay there, partner?”

Swiftly, Gavin muttered, “Uuuh, yeah, sure! What’ll you have?”

The automatic doors of the shop swung open, and Dennis beamed at him while he led the way inside. “Two sugars and one cream, please, and make it a medium roast.”

“Right!” Worming his way inside, Gavin remembered a strong piece of advice Nines had given him when interacting with Dennis and Brendan. Taking it upon himself, as soon as they’d ordered the coffee and found a spot to sit down, Gavin began recording their interaction.

Dennis stood up for a moment, taking a second to stack his bags of groceries on the seat next to himself. They’d picked a table meant for four people, and he used the extra chair adjacent to his own for holding his bags. Gavin waited patiently, eyes wandering about the warm coffee shop while Dennis sorted through a few more items.

“One sec.” Searching through them, he accidentally pushed one of the smaller bags down to the floor. With a groan, he bent over to pick it up, and as he did, his toned ass in his tight denim shorts rose in Gavin’s line of vision.

**Recording: In progress…**

Lewdly, Gavin’s eyes moved back and forth, up and down the contours of Dennis’ buttocks. An almost appreciative grin etched its way onto his lips without Gavin even realizing it. Come to think of it, Dennis had a mighty _fine_ ass…yes, not even his girlfriends’ asses looked this damn good to him…

….

Something zapped inside his skull for a moment, and Gavin had to pause abruptly. Like someone slapping him in the face with a brick, he felt himself going rigid, and then all his limbs turned to jelly mush.

_What the fuck…I shouldn’t be recording this shit! What the fuck’s wrong with me?!_

Moving his obviously perverted eyes away from Dennis, Gavin trained his gaze submissively to the surface of the table. A small tray holding two cups of coffee sat. Pushing the one that belonged to Dennis closer to him, Gavin waited patiently until the younger man was ready to take his seat.

Sliding himself closer to the edge of the table so he could face Gavin directly, Dennis pleasantly smiled at his high-strung companion. Warmth poured out from him, and he moistened his lips with a single flick of his tongue. Gavin ignored it, peeking around the coffee shop at a few noisy teenagers and two small families with their toddler and infant children.

Draping his head in a propped-up hand, he gaped fondly at Gavin until the detective felt as though Dennis was definitely undressing him mentally. Hell, he was gazing at him with what Gavin called ‘bedroom eyes’. He _had_ to have been entertaining something other than platonic images and thoughts in his brain. That much was quite obvious with how many times Dennis licked his lips, played with his hair, and blushed.

Blowing lightly past the rising steam emanating from his coffee cup, Dennis crooned gently, “So. This…partner of yours, Lieutenant…” Losing himself to a tiny giggle, he held it back carefully, sipped his drink, and smirked as though he was already in on a stupendous secret.

Tapping his fingers on the table, Gavin sighed, “What? What’s up?”

“Err, well,” Dennis paused, trying to find the words but lost his momentum. Shyly, he took another breath. “Are you s _ure_ he’s _just_ a work partner and nothing else?”

Gavin immediately cringed. “Come on, man! He’s my work partner, and that’s all it is!” Mortified, he looked down at the floor, memories flooding back from the night he helped Nines masturbate causing Gavin to falter momentarily. In some way, miraculously, he gathered his composure and raised his blue eyes to his temporary companion again.

Not really convinced due to the way he smirked and then blinked the thoughts away into the air like dust, Dennis sighed, “Sooo he’s fair game for you then, huh?” Blushing, he clarified, “I mean, since you two live together and all that…”

“What’re you talkin’ about?” Gavin bemoaned, “I told you, I like women!”

Waving a hand at him almost mockingly, Dennis taunted with a small sneer, “If that’s the case, then why were you looking at my ass? Hmm?”

….

_Fuck. Caught red-handed._

Blinking rapidly, Gavin trembled before he was able to compose himself. Aiming to be hurtful and cruel only for the purposes of defending his own case and proving Dennis wrong, he crudely snapped with impatience bleeding over, “That probably was your own imagination.”

Dennis cocked an eyebrow at him, and Gavin knew he had to alter his words, fast. The last thing he wanted was to be pegged as a liar by someone he felt he needed to protect during an active, albeit, mysterious case.

Shifting in his seat uncomfortably, he clarified, “I was lookin’ in that direction, yeah, but I wasn’t lookin’ _at_ your ass!!”

Shaking his head pitifully, Dennis argued, “Yeah, you were.”

“What do you know?” Gavin hissed. “Even if I were-which I assure you, I _wasn’t_ -but even _if_ I were, how the hell would you know that?”

Rolling his eyes so far back the whites were visible, Dennis groaned before he massaged his neck. “Honey, it’s not the first time a dude who claims he is straighter than an arrow has checked me out, and it won’t be last time, either.”

Bluntly, Gavin admonished with a stern scowl, “Yeah, well that’s _other_ dudes doin’ that because they’re confused about their preferences; not me.”

Blowing a hot puff of air out, Dennis droned, “Mhm. Told you before; that’s what I thought was going on with myself, too.”

Cutting him off quickly, Gavin snapped, “Not interested in hearin’ it. As far as I’m concerned, this is just two acquaintances-err, neighbors havin’ coffee. No need to make it weird.”

Biting his lower lip, Dennis whispered, “Three…”

Something struck out to Gavin like a flash of lightning. The way Dennis had pounded out the word ‘three’ seemed to stand out, and he knew it’d been done with intent. Every bio-component within his android torso turned alert and attentive to Dennis.

Sitting up, he repeated, “Three? Three, what?” Thinking he’d been delusional and hearing things, he sat and waited patiently for the young man to speak up.

Again, Dennis clearly stressed, “Months…for three months, I tried being with a girl, but it never worked out, no matter how much I convinced myself I was interested in her.” With a small shrug, he concluded, “She was my best friend, and she like me a lot. In fact, since we were in kindergarten.” Eyes pouring plenty of deep emotions through Gavin’s, he again spat out emphasis on one word. “Before I knew it, as fun as hanging out with her was, when we all got into high school, she asked me to prom, and I went with her.”

Not really caring about the story or the details, Gavin focused instead on any words Dennis emphasized more than others. His system was already highly alert, so much that he was able to successfully drown out the annoying noises babies and toddlers made as they fussed and wailed.

Grinning at the memory, Dennis explained with mild amusement expressed onto his face, “She was my first kiss with a girl, but I knew that as soon as our lips touched, it was just so wrong, especially after I’d already kissed a guy secretively when I was fifteen, like I told you before. It didn’t feel as it does when you sleep with a woman, you know?”

Swallowing with difficulty, Gavin murmured, “Sure.”

“Hmm,” Dennis hummed as he then clasped his hands in his lap. “Anyway, I broke it off, and not long after, I came out to my parents, and I never felt badly about it since.”

Nearly puking as he prepared himself, Gavin inquired, “Then what’s up with you and Brendan?”

Mouth slack for a moment, Dennis soon shook himself out of his stupor. Gripping his coffee cup tightly in his hands, he sipped on his dark beverage slowly some more, taking his time before setting the cup down. Running a hand through his blonde hair, he spat, “Brendan’s my partner right now, Lieutenant.” Sticking his chin out, he added, “What’s that got to do with anything?”

_There you go again; saying the guy’s name like it’s a curse…what’s the message you’re trying to give me, Dennis? Help me help YOU!_

Coolly, Gavin replied, “Nothing. It’s still just weird for me how you two ended up together; you seem like total opposites.”

Staring over his shoulder for a second, Dennis hissed, “Ravaging opinion there, Lieutenant Nines.” When he turned to stare into Gavin’s eyes, he stressed, “A ‘nice guy’ can be found as easily as a needle in a haystack these days.”

Internally, Gavin was repeating how Dennis had put so much force behind his delivery of Brendan’s name, but also the single letter ‘A’. Something odd was going on…this wasn’t even a matter of his opinion; it was fact. Eerily, he also hadn’t heard the word ‘ravage’ in years. To have someone like Dennis use it so randomly in a conversation such as this was…strange.

Wanting to remain focused and ‘dedicated’ to the chat, Gavin leaned in close and lowered the volume of his voice. “Look,” he began wearily, “I’m sorry for pokin’ my nose in your life all the time, but you seem like a nice kid, and I just don’t want you hurt.” When he had Dennis’ undivided attention, he collected more of his bravery before pressing on.

“Good guys are far and few in between, I get it. But the point is, you can do better than Brendan, trust me.” He hoped it hadn’t sounded as dramatic as he thought it did, and as he sat back, he could sense and visibly see the wheels in Dennis’ head turning about.

Mulling it all over, he exhaled a deep, sad sigh. His eyes appeared suddenly so exhausted, and he had to close them for a moment. Rubbing them gently with his hands, when he drew them away and opened his eyes once more, he gave out another insouciant shrug. “You know what?” he began in an almost faint tone that projected more pain and misery than anything Gavin had heard in a long time. “Guy like you versus a guy like me?” Waving a hand weakly, Dennis cried out, “Naaaaah. Would never happen.”

Though the blunt confession had been received like a bullet to the heart, Gavin had noticed that again, the word ‘guy’ had been spoken in the exact same tone, pitch, and with the same speed as the other emphasized words. As he’d recorded it, he kept an eye on the time and specifically, how many words per minute Dennis’ speech pattern followed. As such, he found that with the stressed words, Dennis on average completed his sentences within eight to ten seconds than when he wasn’t emphasizing those words.

Scanning him, however, he found that the young man wasn’t scared. He wasn’t sweating profusely, his overall stress levels were low, his heart rate was at a medium pace, and his overall psychological demeanor and health was perfectly fine.

But something _still_ wasn’t right!

When he’d taken more than enough time in his own silent observations, Dennis’ chest and shoulders sank. Seemingly ashamed and regretful over his own words so brashly poured from his lips, he shuddered as he said with caution, “Shit…I…I think I s-said too much and freaked you o-out there, didn’t I, Lieutenant?”

No. That hadn’t been the issue, and Gavin knew that Dennis was aware of that, too. This young man was all too familiar with concealing his true emotions and using the art of subterfuge to get by. He could tell from his body language, his eye contact, and his speech patterns. Dennis may have portrayed that he wasn’t calm, but he seriously was. He knew what he was doing.

Was this to send out a message, too?

Biting his tongue for a second just to rouse himself from his scattered thoughts that were spiraling downhill into suspicions that had no place yet here, Gavin tapped Dennis’ coffee cup. His temperature readings indicated that the beverage was cooling off too quickly to be enjoyable, soon.

“Drink up, and don’t worry about me for now, okay?”

Letting out a small groan, Dennis pouted as he pushed his bangs away from his eyes. “Someone’s good at dodging!” Chuckling in disbelief, he elucidated persistently, “I just told you that I like you, and you let it fly over and above your head!! Man, you’re really something else, Lieutenant Nines.”

Anger surging from nowhere, Gavin heatedly argued, “Well, if you’re gonna be that way, then maybe it’s time I left, Dennis.” When he tried getting to his feet, a small hand on the back of his own had been what prevented him from departing.

Gazing down, Gavin saw that Dennis had held him down with a rather tender touch. The way in which his fingers stroked the human skin draped over his android features seemed to be done with intimacy and admiration. There was fondness and warmth behind such a move, and Gavin didn’t know what to do with it. In the past, whenever the women he’d dated had pulled such a move, he’d always returned the gesture with his own passions. But how could he do that, now? With Dennis?? Not only was Dennis a man, but he was still an active part of the overwhelmingly troubling case Gavin was working on! This was crossing so many damn lines that it wasn’t even funny!!

But he could never summon the courage to ask Dennis to stop touching him, nor was he able to take control over himself and yank his hand away from Dennis’. He was weak, truly. Despicably weak.

Softly chuckling, though not in malice, Dennis purred to him, “I didn’t mean it was a bad thing, Lieutenant. I am not fond of androids, you know, but…” Breathing hitching audibly, that single sound drew Gavin’s eyes to Dennis’.

Both men couldn’t stop staring at each other for the longest time. The words: ‘your coffee will get cold’ remained there on Gavin’s tongue, but he felt speechless. It was almost as if someone or something-an invisible source-had zapped away at his power of language and speech, rendering him frozen and stuck like a buffoon.

Blinking as a small blush appeared along his cheeks before pooling into his ears, Dennis warmly stated, “…You’re different, Lieutenant Nines! Call me crazy, if you want, but…there’s something else about you…something I can’t really put my finger on, but you’re different from any android I’ve even talked to for a second out there in Detroit.” Releasing a lovey-dovey sigh, his blush deepened onto his smooth skin, and he carefully stroked Gavin’s knuckles back and forth.

_This is…it’s…_

Wincing, Gavin’s LED light flashed to red in an instant, and he very gently slid his hand out from underneath Dennis’. As soon as their physical contact had abruptly been broken off, Gavin couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing and misery stretching out within himself after Dennis’ heat. He missed it, and he was yearning for it like a long-lost lover seeking out physical contact from their significant other after so many weeks spent apart…

_What the fuck is going on with me…why’s this happening??_

For the first time in the entire length of his career as a detective, Gavin found himself wanting to do something he felt he never had to do, and had vowed he never would. Over the years, he’d seen some horrible things, and he’d been caught in the middle of some really insane, brutally violent cases. He’d personally bore witness to how cruel and mean human beings could be to one another, and yet that had never served as impetus for what he now wished he could do more than return to his biological body.

Gavin wanted to remove himself from the Walker case.


	12. Time Will Tell

Gavin kicked as violently as he could at the meeting room door Fowler was currently on the other side of. He knew this was flagrant disobedience and rudeness liable to get anyone fired, but he didn’t give a damn. As far as he was concerned, if any officer or detective willingly gave up on a case they’d been assigned to, they may as well quit and consider their ‘career’ over with.

Much the same applied to himself even now. Talking back to Captain Fowler was foolish enough, but interrupting an important meeting he was caught in? Whole other story altogether, and it didn’t scream out anything good in Gavin’s future.

Within the meeting room, Gavin scanned and noticed a few other men dressed in top-quality fancy suits, as well as two older women present with perfectly manicured nails and hair that was far too bleached and broken off into multiple split ends. Prominent folks, no doubt, no less, and yet he didn’t summon enough of a damn about them.

Once a few of the participants of the meeting glared over their shoulders at him since he’d been standing there for too long with his LED light blaring red and thus making him stick out like a sore thumb, Gavin waved in frustration, aiming to capture Captain Fowler’s attention. He hadn’t been successful after a few moments; one of the older women sauntered up to the door and opened it.

Peering forth at him, she let out a strained sigh. “RK900? What is it?”

Gavin had to pause. _RK900? Dude, this is just making my day go from bad to worse…_

Scowling, he growled in Nines’ voice, “Permission to speak with Captain Fowler?” Cringing internally at how prehistoric that sounded, he hoped and prayed it was ‘Nines-ish’ enough in terms of a statement. He found he had little to no patience left for anyone’s bullshit, especially today.

The woman brushed a loose strand of her damaged, fried hair back before turning her nose up at him. Gavin supposed he’d said something odd, but he couldn’t put too many of the pieces together and ameliorate it right now. He only raised his eyebrows at her, wondering if she would understand by now.

_I wonder what conditioner she uses, all bullshit aside…maybe I should search for good ones to recommend to her…_

Turning and peeking back into the room at Fowler, the man finally nodded up at her, and she nodded in confirmation back. Holding up a finger, she stated, “One moment please, RK900; he’ll be with you shortly.”

Somehow, that shit was fucking obvious, but he played the role of a subservient android well. Pursing his lips in a thin line at her, he gave out his most affirmative nod in return, but she was already gone.

Cool. She’d probably say ‘no’ to Herbal Essences and insist on using Pantene, anyway.

Fowler soon replaced her spot by the doorway, but he wasn’t as timid to withhold from scowling menacingly at Gavin’s interruption. Standing out into the hall gradually, he made sure to close the door behind himself before he snarled, “Reed, if you _ever_ kick a god damn door in this police department like that once more, I’ll dismiss you for a year without pay. Am I clear?”

Gavin’s red LED light silently informed Fowler that while he was clear as far as far as his threat and reprimands were concerned, he wasn’t buying it. Not one to be intimidated, Gavin gave off a raw, contemptible sneer.

Glaring down at his shoes, Fowler hissed a sibilant hiss, “And get the hell out of the meeting room!! You know you’re not supposed to trespass in this hall as an android!!”

“I’ve never been an android before, sir,” he argued back alongside a solemn disposition. “You’ll have to give me a chance, seein’ as it’s my _first_ fuckin’ time and all that, soooo, be gentle, babe.” The salacious, lewd wink at the end of his sentence added on to Fowler’s warpath and rage boiling beneath his supposedly ‘collected’ veneer and demeanor.

Shooing him aside with a hand motion that was far too primitive, Fowler bemoaned wearily, “Reed, fuck off out of the meeting room!”

Pouting, Gavin sourly hissed, “I’m not in your meeting room, Fowler, I’m right fuckin’ here!” Pointing down at the floor, he finally decided to take the chance and get his request out. However, Fowler beat him to it.

Hands firmly planted on his hips, he stood broadly before Gavin, as if challenging him to dare to say anything out of order. “What do you want, Reed?” he asked with eyebrows raised expectantly. “I have a lot of shit on my plate today, so you better start talkin’, fast.”

Gavin thought for a moment that he could toy with Fowler and speak slowly, but he knew the results and ramifications wouldn’t be too pretty. As much as he loathed Nines, he preferred actually having a torso for the android to return to all in one piece, frankly.

With a curt nod, Gavin stated bluntly, “I’m requesting your permission to remove myself from the Walker case, sir.” Leaning close to his boss, Gavin rasped with mild anger looming behind his words, “I’m…done.”

“Insubordination,” came Fowler’s single-worded reply. He trembled for a moment, but then appeared as though he was trying to apply every bit on self-control left within himself. Though visibly shaken, Fowler inhaled and exhaled deeply and slowly, closed his eyes, and cleared his throat while standing straight.

When he was ‘ready’, he opened his eyes, glared ahead at Gavin, and grunted, “What’s the reason for this, Reed?”

Naturally, Fowler had to inquire about this, and Gavin wasn’t surprised or taken aback. Sincerely and truthfully, he summarized his inner conflict and chagrin as best as he could. “I’m…well, let’s just say that I’ve become…emotionally involved?”

Squinting at him, Fowler reiterated, “Emotionally involved?”

This was vexing, but Gavin knew that he wasn’t the only one feeling wiped and drained. Swaying for a moment, he caught his balance when a few women walked by, trying to skirt past him and head down the hall. Waiting until they had disappeared, Gavin admitted with shame and vexation coloring his voice, “It’s…just as you said before; I’m getting too close to Dennis, and I want someone else to handle this.”

As silent as the entire atmosphere became, Gavin firmly stood before his superior. Not one to back down out of any fights or skirmishes, he felt prepared and ‘man enough’ to face whatever music Fowler had in store for him. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be anything in the way of handing his badge and position over. Gavin could try and fight that, but there was no way he felt he could last through his mortification should Fowler demand to see his chat logs with Dennis. That shit was a real motherfucker…

Training his weary, dark eyes to bear right through Gavin’s to the point where it felt as though Fowler’s eyeballs were made to shoot laser beams into Gavin’s, the android detective winced while desperately hoping to cling onto his bravery.

…Whatever the hell was left of it…

“Umm, sir?”

Why was it so quiet??

When he moved to shake Fowler out of his petrified stupor, the older man finally shoved his hand away. “No, Reed,” Fowler shook his head firmly. “That’s my final word, so you best get on back to work, or else I’ll break my foot off in your android ass.”

Stunned to the point where he couldn’t provide a smarmy response to Fowler’s dumb threat, Gavin croaked, “I’m sorry…what?”

“You heard, Reed,” his superior hissed coldly, and then pointed a finger at Gavin’s nose. “My answer is a solid ‘no’ on this one, and for good reason, too.”

Groaning, Gavin argued lamely, “But I just told you that I’m doin’ what you basically accused me of a while ago in your office! Doesn’t that concern you in the slightest?!”

Lips twitching, Fowler answered bluntly, “I have my reasons, Reed, and regardless of how much fucking around you’ve gotten up to, I need you to get this job done either way.”

Holding his arms weakly out in a surrender, Gavin whined, “Just tell me ‘why’, Jeffrey? Why’re you doin’ this to me?” What else was he supposed to give?? Hadn’t he given his all? What more did the DPD want to take from him? He was a sorry case! A lost cause, already beyond suffering due to his odd plight!! And now, Fowler wanted him to do this while clearly knowing he was slipping?

Unbelievable. Gavin had heard of rumors floating about regarding Captain Fowler really pushing his men through some unsightly, grueling tasks, but this paled in comparison to some of the other so-called experiences. This was pure torture. 

Rubbing his chin while deeply in thought, Fowler eventually buckled. Releasing a strained sigh, he exclaimed with limited patience, “Reed, if I take you off the Walker case, it’ll fuck shit up and you know it. Dennis will get spooked, and since he’s trusted you more than Nines, I think you should stay the hell put.”

Tugging at his hair in wild desperation, Gavin almost wailed, “Jeffrey, I swear, I don’t have it in me to complete this! This kid would be in better hands if someone else took over!”

“No, you listen to me, Reed,” Fowler shot out his boisterous interruption, already getting the attention of a few officers and androids wandering down the hall. As they peeked at them curiously, Fowler lowered his voice and grit his teeth. Seemingly pained, he hissed under his hot breath, “I pride my men in getting results, and over the years, you’ve been someone I learned I could rely on to get me my results! Nothing’s changed!”

Gavin’s eyebrows rose, and Fowler had to correctly himself immediately. “Err, I mean, aside from all this wild-ass, crazy ass shit you’ve pulled lately, you’re a man I can rely on, Reed! I’d hate for that to change!”

The words truly hadn’t been what Gavin had expected to hear. Not in a thousand years. It’d been far too long since his boss had appraised him in such a way, and had he been human, he felt he would’ve been close to sensing tears brimming his eyes. It felt nice knowing he was appreciated in some way. Now, he felt as though his work truly mattered, that he’d been making a difference, somehow, and that he was valued. Still, that didn’t make him feel any less like a depraved nutcase whenever he thought of Dennis. No, thinking of that young man was only going to be the end of his supraliminal self-control…if he had any.

Hanging his head low, Gavin sadly stated, “What do I do then, sir? I can’t just continue with the way things are!”

Slamming a powerfully large hand down over Gavin’s right shoulder, a rather somber look manifested itself onto Captain Fowler’s face. Stern in his approach, he blatantly and bluntly spat without much to hold him back, “One way or another, I want this mess solved, Reed. Now, I don’t care what you have to do. Sleep with Dennis if you must, or don’t sleep with him, hell, I don’t give much of shit, if you’re honestly askin’ me.”

Jaw falling open, Gavin squawked, “Jeffrey! What the hell are you—”

Gripping him so tightly that Gavin was certain a bio-component within his android system would snap, Fowler warned deeply and gutturally, “Do your job, Reed. In the past, you weren’t so shy to ask me to cut corners and cover your ass. Right now, I want you to do the same for me.”

Resisting the nagging urge to throw Fowler’s hand off his person, Gavin could only scowl a minacious scowl while he gave one curt nod. There was no way he could argue his way out of this, and Fowler was using the past to his own damn advantage. How novel.

“Fine. I’ll see what I can do.” Hoping that would suffice, Gavin bit down on his tongue. He knew how short tempered he was, and he didn’t trust his own damn mouth, especially around his hypocritical boss. It had already gotten him into plenty of trouble before. Well, to be fair, his dick had landed him into heaps and loads of trouble far worse and far greater in intensity, but still, trouble was trouble, and he could do without it, especially when his job was at risk because of it.

Returning his plaintive nod with one of his own, Fowler mumbled, “Good. See that you finish this with _minimal_ fuss, Reed.” Slowly, Fowler retracted his hand, and the motions of it sliding off Gavin’s broad shoulder felt like a smooth snake gliding and coiling in thick grass. It almost gave the detective the shivers, but he waited with a strong composure until Fowler turned back to his meeting room.

Once the door had firmly closed after him, Gavin spun around on his heels, desperate to flee down the hall. He’d sadly only taken three steps, when something red flashed like the biggest, shiniest stop sign before his eyes. As though some invisible force had blasted a powerful bolt of electricity into him, he nearly was knocked back onto his ass violently. Skull throbbing oddly, Gavin felt this was the closest thing in terms of ‘pain’ for an android.

But what the hell had even happened, and why??

Flabbergasted, Gavin clutched his skull. Truly, it felt like if he hadn’t done so, it would’ve rolled off his neck. Vision blurred for a few moments, and then red lines appeared a few inches down the hall in front of him. It was a warning, no doubt. The red lines tightened and narrowed like a grid while capital block letters hovered between them.

**ERROR: DO NOT TRESSPASS BEYOND THIS POINT! ERROR! RK900 DOES NOT HAVE FULL AUTHORIZATION BEYOND THIS POINT!**

Fucking warnings.

Rolling his eyes, Gavin turned around, and he slunk away in the opposite direction. Normally, he would’ve thrown a damn fit because of this shit, but right now, he had bigger problems on his plate.

**^^**

By the time Gavin reached the bullpen and his own damn desk, he sensed something was terribly wrong. Nines had his upper torso draped over the cluttered surface of the old desk, while at least seven other officers surrounded him while sniggering heartily.

Chris jabbed an elbow into Nines’ shoulder as he laughed sharply in great amounts of amusement, “Think you smoked a bit too much of that shit, Reed.”

_What the hell??_

Approaching them hurriedly, Gavin gently pushed past officer Person and officer Murray, eyes firmly set on the back of Nines’ head. He was groaning, at first, but then chuckled a deep chuckle that sounded…off.

**Initiating bio-scan…**

A few officers glanced up at him to acknowledge his presence in a semi-annoyed way.

“Sup, Nines?”

Fixing officer Murray with an iconic, stern glare Nines often wore all day long on his damn face, Gavin growled, “What happened?”

All the officers snickered and exchanged awkward glances, clearly not knowing who had to volunteer to provide an answer for his question.

Running out of impatience, Gavin soon ignored them and instead focused on the bio-scan to be complete. Thankfully, the results and readings were in, and Gavin’s rage soon spiked as a result.

**Bio-Scan Results for: Gavin Reed**

**Current heart rate: 71 BPM**

**Psychological state: Calm, relaxed**

**Physiological state: 95% marijuana-induced high**

….

_Of course. Figures._

Nines had definitely gotten into his weed stash he’d hidden away beneath a few notebooks and other loose sheets in the bottom drawer of his desk. It was a ‘last-minute-emergency’ stash Gavin hadn’t used since last April, but from the looks of it, Nines had smoked it all. Fucker had indulged beyond the point of no return.

The other officers were too busy having the time of their lives messing around with ‘Gavin’ being as high as he was. They waved their hands in his face, snapped their fingers next to his ears, nudged him, pushed at his chair, played with his hair, tickled him and chuckled like a bunch of schoolgirls on a damn field trip. It was truly nauseating to observe the ghastly acts, especially when he had to ensure he remained as ‘cold’ as Nines had been.

What was he supposed to do??

_Well, for starters, maybe I can get him the fuck out of here so we can talk somewhere a lot of people won’t be around…then, I can knock his fuckin’ teeth out, one by one for smokin’ my shit._

Deciding to try that plan out before he exploded in raw fury, Gavin flashed a dangerous, impatient grin that portrayed how homicidal he felt. It did well to get a few officers out of his way, but they were still cajoling and jeering at ‘Gavin’ anyway.

Mordantly, Gavin snapped at Nines, “Get up, Detective.”

“Ooooh, yo ass is in deeeep trouble, Reed!” Chris Miller joked as he bumped his hips against the chair. Due to how ‘out of it’ Nines was, nothing at all happened. It would take a lot more than that to startle him, it seemed.

Growing more and more annoyed by the second, Gavin gripped the back of the chair and shook it as hard as he could. It didn’t even move Nines off the seat, shockingly, but it did however piss off Tina Chen.

Protectively, she draped herself over ‘Gavin’, arms extending over as though to shield him. Hissing, she spat with venom, “Nines! Stop bullying Gavin!!”

 _God damn it, Tina,_ he though to himself while his LED light spun around on all the colors. _Now’s SO not the time for this shit!_

Trying not to lose himself to stupid anger that would enable him to kick away at the chair, Gavin growled deeply, “Officer Chen! I’m afraid that Detective Reed has to come with me; we’ve some very important matters to discuss!!”

Sputtering at him in disbelief, the Asian woman fired back, “He’ll be with you when he’s ready! Just leave him alone, for now! Bully!”

“Bully?!?” he repeated in a squeak, “I’m just—”

“Lay off Gavin, Nines,” Murray interrupted, standing next to Chris as tall as he could. Together, the two officers weren’t forces Gavin wanted to toy and reckon with, right now. Not unless he wanted to be dumb enough to blow their cover.

Melting down internally due to a loss over the situation, he resorted to clenching a fist tightly, and he bashed it down onto the desk almost an inch away from Nines’ nose like a jack hammer.

BANG!!

At once, everyone in the DPD bullpen leapt in fear and paused whatever they were doing. Even Nines finally stirred, much to Gavin’s triumph. It was as much of a ‘win’ as he considered it. Still, he scowled angrily when Nines lifted his head, yawned, and then blinked at him. Eyes widening a little, he appeared as though he’d never seen him in his entire life.

Cluelessly, he chuckled on a deep note, “Wooaah, no need to do that…chill.”

Gavin had to cringe both externally and internally. _Damn…if this is how bad it looks whenever I’m high, I’m NOT touching that shit ever again._

Pushing past his vow, he cleared his throat as he barked out authoritatively, “Detective Reed! I need to speak with you at once!!” As much as he hoped this would be intimidating enough to produce the result he wanted, it was another failure.

Pupils dilated, dark circles under his eyes, bags and wrinkles in his pale skin, and thick stubble already growing far too quickly made it so that Nines look repulsive. Gavin felt sick to his own stomach, and he wanted to first deliver a long enough lecture for the ignorant android to get so that he took better care of his body. The way things were going, Nines was treating Gavin’s body like a damn amusement park to litter all over…

Seething, Gavin warned, spitting out his words slowly and carefully, as though communicating with a deaf, dumb person. “We. Need. To. Talk. NOW.”

“Pfft, use your indoor voice, man,” Nines replied coolly, not a care in the world while he leaned back in his chair and propped his legs up on the surface of the desk. Normally, under any other circumstance, Gavin would’ve commended the bratty RK900 for putting on such a performance that he definitely passed off as ‘Gavin Reed’ in front of their co—workers. However, the situation right now didn’t call for it; Gavin was pissed, and he knew that Nines wasn’t acting; he was high off his ass, and this was getting crazier by the minute. People were stopping in the middle of their work to observe them, point and laugh, and Gavin didn’t need it.

“That’s it.” Boldly, he shoved Tina out of the way, and he dug his fingers in the back of Nines’ dark sweater. Heaving the other male off his chair, as he tugged ‘Gavin’ out of the bullpen, he paused long enough to glare dangerously at the rest of his colleagues.

Lifting his head high, he crowed at them aggressively, “Well?! Get the hell back to your work, then!”

Immediately, due to the volume and intensity of his voice, everyone hurried along, getting to their set tasks and duties. The sight of everyone rushing to work gave Gavin a sense of power, and an onslaught of an even more aggressive demeanor. Control wasn’t such a bad thing to exert, after all…

He would need it, especially if he was going to be dealing with ‘stupid’, and right now, ‘stupid’ came to him in the form of Nines nearly drooling and snoring away in his arms. It was far too disgusting for words, but the sooner they got to it, the better. Gavin wasn’t sure how much of his anger he could bottle in anymore, truly.

**^^**

The door to room 108 close to the mailing room swung open, and Gavin practically dragged Nines into it. Tossing him onto a vacant, orange chair, he slammed and locked the door quickly behind them. Nines’ head lolled, and he sniffed, cheeks rosy and eyes puffy. Scratching away at his stubble, he let out a groan as he bemoaned, “My head hurts…”

Looming over him in a hurry, Gavin hissed, “Yeah, and it’s about to get a hell of a lot worse, asshole!” Voice almost cracking due to his pent-up, monstrous rage, he roared mightily, “Who the hell told you to smoke my stash of weed?!? That shit was for emergency cases, Nines! Do you hear me, you fuck-bucket? _EMERGENCIES!!!”_

Covering his ears while curling into a bit of a fetal position, Nines rasped, “Woah…my ears…holy shit…you need to calm down!” He sounded loopier than ever, not even able to speak fluently and in a coherent manner.

This was taxing.

“How do you expect me to remain calm in the middle of all this shit?” Gavin ground out. “First, Fowler was up my ass—” Pausing, he pulled a disgusted face as he tried again. “I mean, ugh, first, Fowler was sayin’ some weird shit about the Walker case, and then you ruined my entire week by smokin’ my damn weed stash!! You asshole!!”

Shrugging nonchalantly, Nines whispered, “It’s all good, Reed. Chill out and remember that everything will be fine.”

“HA! Easy for you to say!” Gavin rounded on him as he orated loudly, “This is getting exhausting, Nines! How am I supposed to handle all this on my own when you’re running around looking like a model for a magazine on homeless people?!” Gesturing at Nines’ disheveled appearance, he complained wearily, “Take a good look in the mirror at what you’ve done to me! You god damn moron!”

Rounding on him in his own way as best as he could, Nines’ eyes squinted forth as he murmured in his chest, “You don’t look any better, Reed.”

Nearly losing his temper, Gavin snapped, “Dude, you reek, you could use a shave, and you haven’t combed my hair. Fuck off with your judgmental shit; I don’t have time for that.”

Scratching the back of his head slowly, Nines sighed, “I feel…sooooo good and you’re ruining it.”

Pointing rudely at him, Gavin demanded, “How did you find my shit, anyway? I swear, I hid it so well!”

“It was just there in the desk,” Nines answered truthfully before dipping his head back and yawning. Blinking up at the ceiling and lights, he giggled, obviously giddier than ever. “This is awesome.”

It wasn’t ‘awesome’ for Gavin. Right now, he wanted to get high, drunk, and probably jerk off until he couldn’t do it anymore. There were so many experiences and delightful treats he was missing out on, and Nines was indulging in them like a damn pig.

Nodding at the laid-back android, he hissed thinly, “Good to know gluttony has a face; especially when you’re higher than a damn kite.”

Rolling his shoulders forward and back, Nines only supplied in a slow drawl, “I’m seeing stuff…I swear…”

Grasping both arms of the chair Nines was seated in like a slob, Gavin leaned into him, and he snarled as his face drew inches away from Nines’. It didn’t matter that he was staring right into his own physiological eyes and visage; this was a most perilous situation, and it didn’t make a difference to Nines either way.

The chair’s armrests nearly cracked under the pressure and intense grip Gavin held on it. Snarling, he coldly exclaimed, “You’re fuckin’ selfish, Nines; you always were.” Not drawing back, his eyes swept from Nines’ chin right up to his eyebrows. For some reason, it was practically impossible to look into those blue-grey eyes he knew belonged to himself.

Fearful of unleashing a nasty punch due to a loss of control, Gavin trembled as he ground out between tightly clenched teeth, “You disgust me, Nines. You’re fucking disgusting.”

Nothing else needed to be said. He’d made his point, and he wanted to leave. He couldn’t even stand another minute in this bastard’s presence without worrying about going insane.

As he whirled around, heading in a straight line for the door, Nines called out at his turned back in a paroxysm of displeasure and discourtesy. “You and I are the _exact_ same, Reed.”

Freezing up, Gavin was shocked he hadn’t shattered upon hearing such filthy words. Strange, Nines could insult him, belittle him, degrade him, force him to suffer through abasement during cases, put him down for his lack of academic knowledge and experience, and Gavin had always been able to laugh and shrug his way out of it. Nothing had ever affected him this much. The stoic RK900 could and had always been as bossy and rude as he’d wanted, and Gavin hadn’t given it a second’s worth of a thought. But now…the lines were blurred, connections were established, and they were coming to form something of a strained, fucked up, codependency.

Nines knew as much about Gavin as the sour detective knew about the blunt RK900, and it was foolish to deny it even for another moment. This experience had done something to them both, but whether it was a negative one or a positive one brought a few questions to Gavin. All he was certain of was the fact that he was only stunned; not angry with Nines’ admission.

Slowly standing from the chair, Nines wiped his clammy hands over his loose jeans, and he merely tilted his head in a condescending way at Gavin. His expression remained neutral and blank, but somewhere, without even needing to scan him, Gavin knew he was trying to be intimidating.

“Do what you must for the Walker case, Reed,” Nines advised in a whisper that hovered between their bodies, further adding on to the tension that was maddening and too overpowering. “It _is_ after all a priority, though I needn’t tell you that, considering how you’re a rather experienced detective.”

The tone…the attitude…that gall…

Sauntering back to Nines, Gavin scathingly coughed out, “You’ve got balls, suddenly, eh Nines? Otherwise, you wouldn’t dare have the temerity to say this shit.”

Though Gavin pointed and jabbed his finger into his chin, Nines merely shrugged before pushing the other man’s hand away from his face. “I’m afraid it’s a matter of priorities, Detective Reed; not so much your moral and ethical compass wherever Captain Fowler’s loyalties are concerned.”

Tilting his head at him, then, Gavin inquired shortly, “The fuck’s that even mean??” Having no patience or time reserved for Nines’ riddles and cryptic behavior, he shouted on edge, “You know what? Fuck it. If you wanna help me, then you help me, Nines.” Sauntering over to the door, he threw out over his shoulder, “Or if you don’t, then don’t. Makes no difference to me because—”

A hand suddenly came down to clamp over his shoulder, and Gavin shut the hell right up. A warm breath panted in his ear, “Do you want to know why we won’t return to our own bodies anytime soon and why we haven’t even started looking for the way to solving all this?” Nines inquired as rhetorically as he could. Giving it pause long enough, he eventually orated, “Because you like being me as much as I enjoy being you, Reed.”

Gavin truly wanted to fight back and scream until the end of time that Nines was wrong. In theory, he knew he was horribly incorrect. In theory, they _both_ had to get back to their regular, physical bodies and get past this. But in practicality, Gavin would do anything other than willingly admit to Nines that he was right. No force or power on the planet could alter or change the fact that he enjoyed and relished in using brilliant android features and technology to do the crazy things he’d been doing for the last week. No one could convince him otherwise that there wasn’t a single moment he didn’t find boring or plain. Being Nines, acting like him, speaking like him, parading around the DPD like him, that was priceless. It was new, fresh, and invigorating.

Did he want it to end?

….

But what of Nines? Where was his angle in all this?

Spinning himself halfway around carefully, Gavin focused as best as he could so he wouldn’t look Nines in the eyes. He had no idea what would happen to him if he did and seeing as this was something lying in the realm of the unknown, he couldn’t dare face it. He feared the unknown; that side of himself was still human, so it seemed.

Seething in both fury as well as heightened pleasure, Nines smoothly intoned, “Did you even bother stopping to ask yourself: ‘why’? Or ‘how’?” Shifting, his feet moved along the cold, shiny white tiles, stopping only a few inches behind Gavin’s dress shoes.

Eyes narrowed in an accusatory fashion, Nines continued, “Maybe it’s not a curse…whatever happened to the two of us…maybe, maybe this was another thing that just had to be.”

Gavin had no idea where Nines was going with this, but he didn’t want to ask. Already, too much had been learned and revealed, and the last thing he wanted to acknowledge was that yes, Nines _was_ right, just as he usually was.

Gavin enjoyed being an android, and to think of his own life as a human prior to this mishap was becoming less of a habit for himself as of late. He didn’t look back on the past much anymore, and that troubled him. He’d somehow become accustomed to this new life, and it seemed Nines had, too.

Effortlessly…eerily…

Though he didn’t physically feel dizziness, Gavin could assign and identify the definitions associated with it, somewhere stirring within the recesses of his mind. Nines had taken him off-guard yet again, and he never ceased failing in that. It made Gavin feel reduced to the mental and emotional state of that of a child, and he felt stripped down naked.

Nines paid him no mind, however, seemingly oblivious to his burgeoning discomfort. Instead, he muttered, “Think about it, Reed. I highly doubt that something like this would’ve happened if I was just arguing with anyone randomly in here.” Sneaking his hands into Gavin’s jean pockets, he fumbled about for something while Gavin shook his head.

“S-so, you think that there was something like a c-connection, maybe? Is that how it works?” As stupid and ignorant as it sounded even to himself, it seemed that Nines was implying the very notion. Was he an idiot for following that up?

Gavin decided to leave it to Nines. Sadly, he was very soon disappointed.

Nines offered him a small sneer, and Gavin immediately felt dejection taking a dangerous hold over himself. Shrugging haphazardly, Nines fished out a small plastic baggie, and with Gavin watching in horror, he gathered the last traces of weed at the bottom of it before rolling them up into a perfectly made joint.

“I’ll leave you with your own thoughts on it, Reed,” Nines offered with a bored tone. As Gavin continued observing him, he pulled out Gavin’s lighter, and he right away lit the joint. As the smoke puffed and billowed about in the air, Nines inhaled sharply, frowning as he closed his eyes.

Gavin’s jaw dropped in awe. “You’re doing _this_ right _now_??”

What timing, truly.

Ignoring his logical question for a moment, Nines sifted through the dark sweater’s right pocket. Focusing on his new hunt, he soon dragged out a few loose pieces of paper, tossing them to the floor. As he littered, he inhaled again on the joint, frown turning deeper and more confused by the minute.

Lips puckering in an ‘o’ shape, he gaped, “Oh shit, whose shit is this?” Studying the joint from side to side, up and down, he supplied, “This is pretty good! It’s not yours, is it?”

Blowing the clouds of smoke away from his face, it took every last bit of control and strength left within Gavin to refrain from bashing his own head into the nearest wall, and then Nines’. Nothing would delight him more than cracking the android’s skull as well as his own skull, but such an immodest, ridiculous reaction wouldn’t solve anything.

Shutting his mouth, he disregarded Nines, spun on his heel, and hurriedly exited the room before Nines could utter another word. Gavin was completely certain that the next phrase Nines spewed would be his own undoing. Already, the creepy RK900 had read right through every emotion, thought, dream, and question even Gavin himself had been unaware of brewing in his mind. To Nines, these were somehow still freely and widely accessible. Effortlessly, as always, Nines didn’t need to reach too far or too deeply before he stirred up something within Gavin, and this time, it was eerily accurate right down to the core.

Gavin knew he’d once despised Nines. He’d felt that before burning from his head to his toes. Now, he was pretty sure he still loathed him. This would’ve been acceptable, save for one tiny problem nibbling away at his conscience.

Nines had done nothing wrong. In fact, everything he’d pointed out had been the very things Gavin longed for someone to spew out. Nines’ words made sense; they were rooted in reality. As harsh and abrasive as they were, he needed to hear them over false promises and half-assed ‘you’ll be fine’ phrases meant to placate and patronize him. Nines wielded a double-edged blade, constantly. Both bad and good, both a cruel jerk, as well as a reliable, doting friend…

Who was he? Why hadn’t Gavin taken the necessary time to notice and appreciate just how delicately Nines planted his existence and purpose in both these dualities? Had he noticed _anything_ about his co-worker at all?

Stepping away and assessing Nines over his shoulder, from his peripheral vision, Gavin gathered absolutely nothing. He could stand there until the end of the week scanning, analyzing, assessing, and gathering as much raw data about Nines as he could, and he knew it would never amount to anything. It wasn’t enough, and it would be a great offense. No one was like Nines, and no one would ever be like Nines. He couldn’t stand there coldly observing and jotting down notes and ideas. To do such a thing to such a creature seemed…unjust…wrong…yes, it was wrong to discard Nines in such a foul manner, after all.

Questioning himself and his sudden change of heart when it came to the RK900 he loathed more than anything or anyone else, Gavin brokenly cried out, “This shit…it’s not…it’s not funny, Nines.”

_Why is this happening to us? Why?_

Removed from Gavin’s rueful woes, Nines icily declaimed, “I’m finding a lot of things funny, lately.” Eyes shining and glowing playfully, he concluded, “That’s how I keep on going in this odd, dark world, Detective Reed…” Placing a hand on Gavin’s back, he edged around him, heading to the door, first.

Pushing it open, he called out to the stunned detective, “Perhaps you ought to do the same! Take my advice; it works a lot better this way, plus, it’s far less painful.”

If Gavin had wanted to bicker and argue like the recalcitrant, overgrown brat he was known for being, it was far too late and a lost cause. The door had already shut, and Nines had disappeared.

Breaking out of the spell he hadn’t even noticed entrapping him, Gavin placed a hand over his thirium pump and cursed under his breath. Squinting his eyes, he assessed and studied his surroundings, slowly coming back to reality. The room temperature readings notified him that it was rather chilly. He didn’t sense it at all, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of feeling a psychological, emotional frost seeping all over his system. He surely had been experiencing that, and he attributed it all to Nines.

His words, his doings, they’d all come together to make Gavin feel as worthless and valueless as possible. Hell, it was something Nines excelled in, practically. He’d made it something of an art form to get under Gavin’s last nerve, exposing his anger, and backing him into a corner so that he could lash out, argue, and appear as petulant as possible in front of everyone they knew.

Classic Nines 101. Perhaps they could’ve changed the scenery, the details, their words, and how they were in their current stance. But Gavin wasn’t going to dupe himself into believing that they would ever be capable of revising how they really felt about one another. The cantankerous RK900 would always be nothing more than a damn nuisance; a thorn in Gavin’s side.

As such, with this tucked away in the back of his mind, the moody, carnaptious detective decided it was finally time to leave the damn DPD for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the last chapter of this fic I'll be writing. I've sadly got too much going on atm, but Queen Royala said once I email her the rest of the plot I had in mind, she may take over for me. 
> 
> Till then.


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